Last straw: Koeman sacked by Barcelona after Rayo Vallecano defeat

It was a long time coming but FC Barcelona have finally decided to pull the band-aid. Following last night's 1-0 defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano, they have announced that manager Ronald Koeman has been relieved of his duties. He will officially bid the players farewell on Thursday, with no immediate replacement confirmed as of now.

Back-to-back losses against Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday and against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday finally led to the decision. It comes as no real shock, with the manager's future in doubt even before the season even started. Club president Joan Laporta backed the coach on several instances in the past months, but he is now unable to turn a blind eye to the fans' outrage.

The club announced the sacking on their official website just hours after their latest defeat.

Barcelona fans showed their frustration against Koeman and the club's recent form on Sunday night, when they surrounded the Dutchman's car and hurled insults at him as he was on his way out of the Camp Nou. The club condemned the fans' behaviour, but in the end they took the hard decision to let Koeman go.

Club legend Xavi Hernandez is the favourite to replace Koeman, but he is currently working with Al Sadd in Qatar. He has been enjoying massive success with the Qatari outfit, and it will be a massive risk for him to leave his post to take over at the Camp Nou.

It may be remembered that Koeman is a Barcelona legend himself, but that did not stop him from ending his managerial stint in disappointment.

It is still early in the season, and Barcelona are sitting in ninth place in the league table. They are only six points behind leaders Real Madrid, and may still be able to turn their season around. However, a new manager may or may not provide the solution they are looking for.