Sporting director Eric Abidal wants Blanco to take over barcelona next season

Barcelona find themselves in a bad situation as they need to change and then start over, when Lionel Messi has limited time left.

To be sure, they can't let Kik Setien's disaster go on – the team looks vulnerable, they clearly don't respect him and there's no sign that he'll improve.

A recent report from the Team Newspaper pointed to the team's management and it appeared that their plan was for Harvey to take over the team at some point.

Unfortunately this may not happen for at least a year, another short-term coach needs a stable boat.

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That meant we needed someone experienced to do it, and sporting director Eric Abidal was looking for a Frenchman to take on the role.

Laurent Blanco is an experienced coach – he has won league titles in Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain, and his illustrious career deserves the respect of the players.

Importantly, although he was Abidal's first choice, it did not mean that the other behind-the-scenes staff would agree and push for his appointment.

The Champions League with Napoli is about to begin, with Setin still in charge of the team, but hopefully he will be fired as soon as the match is over (Barca will face a major decision unless he wins the game).