Barcelona have confirmed the appointment of former star defender Sergi Barjuan as interim head coach following the sacking of Ronald Koeman.

The Dutch legend was relieved of his duties after Barça slipped to a shock 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano; a result that leaves the Catalan giants a lowly ninth in La Liga.

A statement from Barcelona following the appointment of Sergi read:”Barcelona hereby announces that Sergi Barjuan, the current coach of Barça B, shall be taking provisional charge of the technical management of the senior squad. His interim position as first team head coach shall end as soon as the club has hired full-time head coach to replace the dismissed Ronald Koeman.

“Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, shall be officially introducing Sergi Barjuan to the first team squad this afternoon before the training session at the Ciutat Esportiva.

“Sergi Barjuan will be attending to the media tomorrow Thursday from 1.00pm CEST in the pressroom at the Ciutat Esportiva to discuss the game against Alavés, with president Joan Laporta also appearing.”

Sergi, 49, was appointed Barcelona B manager in June 2021, signing a two-year contract, but his association with the club dates back to a length spell as a player.

Between 1993 and 2002, Barjuan made 267 La Liga appearances for the club, having graduated through the club’s academy. He then concluded his playing career with a three-year spell at Atletico Madrid, before returning to Camp Nou as a youth coach in 2009.

He’s subsequently enjoyed spells as manager of Almeria, Mallorca and Zhejiang Professional of China, before returning to Catalonia over the summer.