7 managers sacked after vote of confidence - is Barcelona's Koeman next?

Last season, Barcelona fell short in both the La Liga and the Champions League which has lead to question marks over coach Ronald Koeman's future. The Dutchman has been given a vote of confidence by Barca president Joan Laporta but in football, that often means the dreaded sack is soon to follow. Here's a look at several managers who thought their jobs were safe - only to be axed very soon after...

Brendan Rodgers: In August 2015, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said Rodgers was the right man for the club. The Reds had lost form but the manager was tipped to put things right and seemingly had the support of the board. He was expected to take the club forward and was credited for being instrumental in the transfer market. A strong improvement was anticipated. But just two months later after getting the dreaded vote of confidence, he was sacked.

Roberto Mancini: It was March 2013 when Manchester City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano heaped praise on Mancini. He said he was a champion and even defended his failure in winning back the Premier League title saying it was a difficult task. Mancini must have appreciated the kind words and may have felt his job was safe. It was a false sense of security because just two months later, he was shown the door.

Jose Mourinho: In October 2015, Chelsea released a statement saying Mourinho would continue to receive their full support. Results at the time had been poor and performances were flat too. The club made it clear it was not good enough, but gave the ‘Special One’ their full backing. They said he was the right manager and believed he would turn the fortunes of the team around. What happened two months later? That’s right. The axe fell.

Louis Vaan Gaal: Barcelona’s vice-president Sixte Cambra claimed on December 2002 that Vaan Gaal’s job was safe following a slum in the form of the team. He also said there would be no major changes at the club. All well then, right? Wrong. Just 1 month later, Vaan Gaal was sacked.

Kenny Dalglish: It was during April 2012 with Liverpool struggling that chairman Tom Werner gave his full backing to the manager. He said he had great confidence in the Liverpool legend and added he felt the team would make giant strides in the future under his tutelage. But just a month later with no improvement in form, Dalglish’s second spell as coach of the Reds came to an end.

Claudio Ranieri: Having won the Premier League with Leicester City, Ranieri should have been given a job for life. It was an incredible achievement. But the following season, results began to suffer, however on February 2017, the club issued a statement making clear its unwavering support for everyone's favourite madcap Italian. But just 16 days later, he was given the boot.

Tim Sherwood: During October 2015, Aston Villa’s Director General Charles C Krulak backed under-fire manager Sherwood. He said it was mere speculation that he would be sacked and added that he wanted to see continuity rather than chop and change managers every year. But just 10 days later, poor Tim was out of a job.