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Former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has launched a stinging attack on the club following the manner of his sacking earlier this season.

Koeman was sacked at the end of October – following humbling league defeats against Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano respectively, continuing a slow start to the season. It was on the plane flight home from that loss at Rayo where club president Joan Laporta told him that he had been sacked.

Former Barca captain Xavi was appointed as his successor in another sign that Barca were returning to their past, just as they had done with the return of president Laporta in March last year. The Blaugrana’s season has improved in recent months following that coaching change and a busy January of investment.

Koeman has started to break his silence over the nature of his exit from the Camp Nou and earlier this month gave an extraordinary interview in which he accused the Barca president Laporta of continually misleading him.

The Dutch boss was appointed by Laporta’s predecessor in the role, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and he has opened up on his frosty relationship with the current Blaugrana president. He has continually alluded to his thought process that he was never likely to be retained by the club without huge