Ronald Koeman has been sacked by Barcelona after overseeing their worst start to a season since the 1987-88 campaign.
They finished sixth that year – a similar season would leave them outside the and have catastrophic consequences on the club’s already fragile finances.
They are currently floundering in ninth almost closer to the relegation zone than to the top of the table.
Koeman was fired while on the flight back home from a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano