Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman will be on the sideline for Thursday’s match against Cadiz. However, the club is exploring options to replace him, according to ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Koeman’s standing with the club was weakened with a 1-1 draw against Granada on Monday, which came after a 3-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich. Barcelona president Joan Laporta held an “hourlong emergency meeting” with his board of directors after the Granada game regarding Koeman’s suitability, per ESPN. 

However, there is a lack of alternatives available and Laporta doesn’t want an interim option, according to ESPN. His goal is to appoint someone “capable of building a long-term project” at the club. 

Belgium boss Roberto Martinez and Xavi Hernandez, who coaches Al-Sadd in Qatar, are reportedly both options to replace Koeman. 

Laporta first considered firing Koeman in the summer. He decided not to after a “period of reflection.”

To be fair, Koeman has had to deal with several significant losses this year, including Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann, as Barca has been forced to reduce their wage bill amid financial complications. 

Following Monday’s draw against Granada, Koeman stressed he has been trying to make the most out of a team that is not as great as it was in the past. 

“Look at our squad list,” Koeman said after the game via Marca. “We did what we could. We don’t have the players from the tiki-taka days. We have to play with our own style. I think we did well and, with some more time, we could have won. The basic system was 4-3-3 in the first half, then I had to make changes based on what I had on the bench.

“This isn’t the Barcelona of eight years ago. That’s the way it is.”

Still, the losses of several key players isn’t enough of an excuse for poor performances, and Koeman could very well be on his way out in the coming weeks.