FOOTBALL – Sunday was all about ‘El Clásico‘, the derby between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The final result put even more pressure on the shoulders of Dutch coach, Ronald Koeman, who was attacked by fans when leaving the stadium.
Barcelona appeared to have the upper hand in the first half. However, it became increasingly clear that Madrid’s tactical play would not lead to a Barça win in the Catalan capital. After 25 minutes, a huge opportunity came for Barcelona when Memphis gave a cross to Dest who then fired the ball hard over the goal. Just before halftime, Memphis lost the ball, which led to a fantastic goal from Real Madrid´s David Alaba.
Koeman hoped to turn the tide in the second half by replacing some players. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful, and Vázquez managed to score again in extra time, making it 0-2 for Real. When all chances of Barcelona winning looked to be over, Aguero managed to make it 1-2. This went some way to save the honour of the players.
Dutch coach under pressure
This was the third time Barcelona played against Real under the leadership of Ronald Koeman. Koeman has been under pressure as coach of FC Barcelona for some time because of his team´s disappointing performances. As such, his future as Barcelona coach is far from certain. Following the defeat against Real Madrid, FC Barcelona is in ninth place in La Liga. That equates to six points behind leaders Real Sociedad and five points behind Real Madrid and Sevilla.
Koeman harassed outside Barcelona stadium
On Sunday afternoon, he was attacked by supporters of the club as he left the stadium in his car. The car was spat at and dents were allegedly knocked into Koeman’s car with mobile phones. FC Barcelona announced on Sunday evening it would condemn the actions and take measures, both in terms of extra security for the coach and his players and disciplinary penalties against the perpetrators.
