Koeman's heart

Ronald Koeman made Barcelona fans as happy as Barcelona has made him happy. The Dutchman has always kept a home in the Catalan capital, as long as his commitments have allowed him to, he has escaped to see his circle of friends with whom he plays golf and goes to eat at Can Ferran, one of his favorite restaurants. He never hid that his dream was and is to lead Barça, but for one thing or another, the opportunity has always caught him with a changed foot.

The last time, the offer came to him last January when he was committed to the Netherlands to prepare for the Eurocup that had to be played this summer and which was finally suspended due to the COVID crisis. It was time to let the Barça train pass again and three months later he received the great scare of his life.

On May 3 Ronald was returning home after riding a 60-mile bike ride with a friend. Koeman had been fond of cycling in recent times. He had gained weight and after going on a diet he saw cycling as a good way to stay in shape. When he returned home, he felt ill and called the doctor and was immediately admitted to the emergency room. They detected him a blockage in the central coronary artery and they put two stents.

Then he remembered his father, Martin Koeman, a former elite player in the Netherlands who died of a heart attack in the stands of an amateur match while looking for value for Groningen. Ronald therefore had a hereditary problem to which modern surgery had found the solution that his father could not saveOnce recovered, Koeman decided that life is two days and that one is here to fulfill his dreams. So he finally decided to get on the Barcelona train, which was passing by the house again and try to pay attention to the heart that had warned him on May 5.