On his way out of Camp Nou on Sunday evening, Ronald Koeman got caught in traffic. It can happen when the biggest club stadium in Europe, set close to the heart of a major city, has 80,000-odd exiting at the same time.
But the issue for Koeman, Barcelona’s head coach, was not a gridlock of cars. It was people, on foot, crowding around his vehicle, Barca supporters intent on haranguing, up close and aggressive, and, once the harassment began, the gathering of those who just wanted to film the abuse on their phones.
Fists banged on Koeman’s car. Insults roared at him. What looked like spit landed on the windscreen. His wife was in the passenger seat. Eventually, the vehicle slowly eased away. The next morning Barcelona issued a statement condemning the “violent” incidents. “The club will take security and disciplinary measures to make sure these regrettable events do not happen again,” it said.
Koeman’s Barca had lost 2-1 to Real Madrid, the fourth successive clasico defeat against their fiercest rivals, and the third on Koeman’s watch. But this was different to the previous two, because, for the first time since the Dutchman became head coach 14 months ago, it was played out in front of a crowd close to capacity.
A clasico in front of a packed Camp Nou, with Koeman in the technical area, is a scenario he had been looking forward to for more than two decades. This is the management job Koeman has aspired to since he retired as the player whose finest moment was scoring, with one of his trademark direct free-kicks, the goal at Wembley in 1992 that won for Barcelona a European Cup final for the first time.
Once he went, successfully, into management, Koeman targeted coaching his old club. It has been a roundabout journey to get there, via clubs in Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the Premier League, where his time at Southampton and Everton was not always made easy by his undisguised longing to one day be head coach at Camp Nou. Last year he gave up managing a rising Netherlands national team to fulfill the long-term dream.
Koeman is not naive. He knew this was as hard a time as any this century to be working at debt-burdened Barcelona, and that coaches with better pedigree than his had been put off applying for a job that means dealing with diminishing resources. Lionel Messi has left Camp Nou on Koeman’s watch, as have Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann.
To cover the departure of Griezmann, loaned back to the same Atletico Madrid who Suarez propelled to the Liga title last season, Koeman lobbied for the loan signing of Luuk de Jong. The journeyman target man from the Dutch national team immediately became the focus of derision from some supporters because he is seen as a footballer without the stylish grace barcelonistas regard as obligatory - and because he is seen as Koeman’s man.
Barcelona v Real Madrid player ratings
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BARCELONA RATINGS: Marc-Andre ter Stegen 6 - Wasn’t tested too often outside of Alaba’s shot that found the back of the net. Saved well against Asensio late on but couldn’t keep out the rebound from Vazquez. AP -
Oscar Mingueza 6 - Struggled at times against the threat of Vinicius Jr who was constantly looking to square the defender up into 1v1 situations. Replaced at halftime. AP -
Gerard Pique 6 - Played Alaba onside for the goal but came close to levelling the score immediately with a strong header that eased past the post. Booked for dissent. AFP -
Eric Garcia 6 - Alert to the danger of Real Madrid’s direct balls over the top as the opponents looked to unleash Vinicius Jr, but could have done better on both goals conceded. AP -
Jordi Alba 6 - Defended well but we are used to seeing Alba much more effective going forward. The Spain international struggled to make an impact in the final third. AP -
Sergio Busquets 7 - Made a number of interceptions and tackles in the middle of the park that helped the home side enjoy some spells of possession. Reuters -
Frenkie De Jong 6 - Kept play ticking over with passes rarely missing the target, but could have done more to be incisive with decision-making. Almost punished for giving the ball away cheaply in the second half. EPA -
Gavi 7 - The young midfielder was at the heart of several intricate passages of play that helped the home side progress up the field. Neat and tidy in possession, and consistent in making good decisions on the ball. Getty -
Sergino Dest 7 - A disastrous finish from Dest saw Barcelona’s best chance of the first half blazed over the bar. Moved to full-back at half-time after struggling in the attack. The American international looked like a different player in the second half when playing from a more familiar right-back position. AFP -
Memphis Depay 7 - Dangerous when isolated against Lucas Vazquez. Always positive on the ball, and the Dutch forward was unlucky not to pick up an assist. One of Barcelona’s standout performers on the day. EPA -
Ansu Fati 6 - Found space in the box but saw his effort blocked by David Alaba close to halftime. While the winger was bright on the ball, there were often too many white shirts in his way. Getty -
SUBS: Philippe Coutinho (Mingueza 45) 7 - Made an instant impact to get Barcelona into dangerous areas, displaying good footwork and linking well with Memphis Depay. Getty -
Sergio Aguero (Ansu Fati 74) 6 - On to try and win the game but his goal would only be a consolation in the last minute of the game. Reuters -
Sergi Roberto (De Jong 77) N/A - Looked to get forward and support the attack when Barcelona were in the attack. Luuk De Jong (Gavi 85) N/A - On as a taller option inside the box for Barcelona’s crosses. AFP -
REAL MADRID RATINGS: Thibaut Courtois 6 - Didn’t have a save to make in the first half as Dest’s shot was sent into orbit. The Belgium international has his defence to thank for a fairly comfortable day. Getty -
Ferland Mendy 7 - Linked well with Vinicius Jr which generated success on Real Madrid’s left flank. Little got down Mendy’s side on the day as the French fullback looked comfortable at Camp Nou. AFP -
David Alaba 8 - An emphatic strike sent the ball past ter Stegen with power after the defender won the ball in a dangerous area. Blocked well against Ansu Fati to keep the score level. AFP -
Eder Militao 7 - Made it difficult for Barcelona attackers to get a free shot at goal, showing good chemistry with Alaba to get in the way of shots inside the box. Getty -
Lucas Vazquez 7 - Settled down in the second half and fared better when Depay moved centrally. Picked out well by Madrid’s midfield three. Worked tirelessly to get up the other end of the pitch to rebound home from Asensio’s saved effort. EPA -
Toni Kroos 7 - A problem in space with Kroos able to pick out passes to release Real Madrid’s wide players. AFP -
Casemiro 7 - Disrupted the play in the middle of the park and helped against Barca overloads into the box during the second half. AFP -
Luka Modric 8 - Looked unfazed by the Barcelona press and engineered ways to get out of it through passing and astute dribbling. Unlucky not to get an assist with an inventive pass that put the ball in a great spot for Benzema. EPA -
Vinicius Jr 8 - Real Madrid’s most dangerous player who kept the opponent’s defence active throughout the game. The Brazilian kept looking to take players on, and had some good success against Oscar Mingueza. AFP -
Karim Benzema 7 - Provided an option when Madrid had to go long against Barcelona’s high press. Calm on the ball and brought others into play. Should have did better with an effort that was hit straight at ter Stegen. AFP -
Rodrygo 6 - Not as effective going forward as usual with a difficult matchup against Jordi Alba. Eventually replaced for Valverde. EPA -
Federico Valverde (Rodrygo 72) N/A - Almost put the ball in the net with his first touch but could only find the side-netting before the play was judged offside. EPA -
Dani Carvajal (Valverde 90+2) N/A - On for Valverde who picked up an injury shortly after being introduced. EPA Marco Asensio (Vinicius Jr 88) N/A - On for Vinicius Jr for the final minutes of the game. Came close to scoring by forcing a good save from Ter Stegen, but it was Vazquez who rebounded home.
When De Jong came on in the clasico, he was booed. “I don’t like to hear that,” said Koeman, though he also praised the biggest crowd - over 85,000 - to have watched a Barcelona game since before the Covid pandemic. “The public were phenomenal until the last second.”
Once he was driving away from the stadium, Koeman experienced a different aspect of the public.
He is still the Hero of Wembley in Barcelona folklore but being a club icon as a player grants limited credit once you become a head coach at the same club. This is a harsh time for some of those who have made that transition. Since Koeman took up his job, he has seen Andrea Pirlo, the ex-Juventus player promoted with little experience to the coaching role, be hired and fired by Juve. He has seen Zinedine Zidane, European Cup-goalscoring hero for Real Madrid, step down for a second time as Madrid head coach, and even Hansi Flick, ex-Bayern Munich player and brilliantly successful Bayern coach, quit his post.
In Pirlo’s case, he was not ready for the managerial challenge. Zidane and Flick found that past achievements did not gain them the authority over club decisions that they sought.
Juventus, Bayern and Madrid have all beaten Koeman’s Barcelona in the past 12 months. So have Atletico and Paris Saint-Germain. “We are getting closer to winning a big game,” said Koeman before he got into his car on Sunday. He suspects that if he is still in charge for the next heavyweight fixture, it is largely because Barcelona cannot lure an elite replacement or afford the costs of firing one manager and hiring another.
