Ronald Koeman, head coach of FC Barcelona is seen a red card during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Granada CF at Camp Nou on April 29, 2021 in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona fell to an extremely disappointing defeat against Granada on Thursday after a dreadful display that put a major dent into their title aspirations. For Ronald Koeman in particular, things went from bad to worse as he was sent to the stands after a reported altercation with the fourth official.
The manager seemed baffled after the match, claiming in the press conference that the fourth official disrespected him despite the Dutchman not even saying anything. The red card shown to Koeman now means he will be unavailable inside the dugout for possibly the next two matches.
To make things worse, the Barcelona boss could be facing further consequences, as highlighted by journalist David Bernabeu Reverter. After he was given his marching orders, Koeman proceeded to the stands and then began communicating with his assistant Alfred Schreuder in the dugout via a phone call.
Aún no entiendo como nadie del club no ha alertado a Koeman de q no podía estar en la grada hablando por teléfono. El reglamento lo prohibe. Le puede caer más partidos por ello.
— David Bernabeu Reverter (@DBR8) April 29, 2021
Reverter points out that the regulations prohibit such an action, and it is surprising how nobody from the club alerted the coach thereabout. Due to this breach, Koeman could face a lengthier suspension than he would have originally, just thanks to the sending off.
The Dutchman looked visibly disgruntled as the night, which started on a positive note with a wonderful Lionel Messi goal, went from bad to worse for the Catalans. Granada came back from behind to score two second-half goals and earn their first-ever points at the Camp Nou.
Match Report #BarçaGranadahttps://t.co/21xFengvYY
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 29, 2021
The defeat is a hammer blow to the Blaugrana who had the chance to go top of the table for the first time this season. Instead, they now once again find themselves hoping that their contenders will drop points.
The game against Atletico Madrid on the 8th of May, now holds an incredible amount of significance. Barcelona have piled on all the pressure onto themselves once again.
