Erik ten Hag says he can’t do much with the messages from Spain that he would be one of the ideal candidates to succeed Ronald Koeman at Barcelona. The latter would have definitively lost the confidence of chairman Joan Laporta and would sit on the bench until the international match period in October at the most. Despite an ongoing contract with Ajax, Ten Hag is one of the trainers put forward by the media in Catalonia.
“What are you supposed to do with it?”, the Ajax trainer asked himself openly on Tuesday evening just before the kick-off of the match against Fortuna Sittard. “We are now enjoying Ajax.” Former Barcelona player and coach Josep Guardiola, who maintains a good relationship with Laporta, would have broken a lance for Ten Hag at Barcelona, Jan Joost van Gangelen said. “I don’t know it all”, replied the Ajax coach. “Let’s just talk about this match.”
Thank you for supporting our team, culers. I ask you to continue doing it. We know what needs to be done to solve this situation. We are Barca. pic.twitter.com/8k94CvM5CW
— Joan Laporta Estruch?? (@JoanLaportaFCB) September 21, 2021
“This kind of rumor is especially fun for you, the media. But not for us,” Ten Hag emphasized in conversation with ESPN. The 51-year-old coach signed a new contract with Ajax in April of this year until the summer of 2023. “I know what I have here and with which people I work here”, Ten Hag explains the reason for his contract extension at the time. “In addition, I know how we can take the next step with this team. I am happy here.”
“Getting somewhere is one, staying somewhere is two. Ajax is on the map abroad. We get the recognition for that, but we want even more. We want to go even higher and annoy the top clubs in Europe,” emphasized Ten Hag. Koeman, whose contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the season, indicated on Monday evening after the disappointing 1-1 draw against Granada to Spanish journalists that he does not want to talk about his future anymore. Earlier, the trainer let the NOS know that he is in talks with Laporta about a new contract.
However, after the 0-3 defeat in the Champions League against Bayern Munich and the draw against Granada, a possible resignation of Koeman is a topic in the Spanish media. A possible departure of Koeman will reportedly cost Barcelona millions. The club must pay the trainer a fee of six million euros if it is decided not to keep him in the saddle for a third season, it was reported last weekend in the Club de la Mitjanit program of Catalunya Radio.
Koeman paid his transfer fee from Barcelona to the KNVB a year ago. A clause in the coach’s contract, which currently runs until mid-2022, would now ensure that he gets this amount back if he is not allowed to stay on for a third season in Catalonia.