How Barcelona Manager Ronald Koeman Failed to Use a Senior Player Which Left Lionel Messi Baffled

How Barcelona Manager Ronald Koeman Failed to Use a Senior Player Which Left Lionel Messi Baffled

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:50 PM
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  • Lionel Messi left Spanish club Barcelona just after a season that Dutch manager Ronald Koeman was appointed
  • Bosnian star Miralem Pjanic has lamented that he was also disrespected at the club which forced him to leave
  • According to Pjanic who was out of favour under Koeman, even Lionel Messi was surprised about Koeman’s tactics

Former Barcelona star Lionel Messi was surprised by Ronald Koeman’s tactics following the manager’s arrival to the Catalan club in 2020, Tribuna reports.

The ex-captain was surprised that the manager did not use Miralem Pjanic at the club which forced the 31-year-old Bosnian to leave for Besiktas.

Pjanic dumped the Spanish club on loan as he felt disrespected by the Dutch manager having started in just six La Liga games last season - something that even baffled Messi.

How Barcelona Manager Ronald Koeman Failed to Use a Senior Player That It Even Baffled Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi celebrates a goal with Miralem Pjanic. Photo: Valerio Pennicino
Source: Getty Images

Pjanic told Football Italia via SPORTbible:

"Besiktas wanted me strongly in the last days of the transfer market and I couldn't stay in Barcelona with Koeman, I would have lost another year and I didn't want to.
"Koeman had an attitude with me that no one understood, not even Messi. Leo, last year, told me several times; 'But why doesn't he let you play? Has something happened?'
"My situation was complicated from the beginning. It was tough physically and mentally and it killed my confidence because I had no communication with him. It was very strange."

Valverde vows to keep mum over time in charge at Camp Nou

Meanwhile, Ernesto Valverde has insisted that he will not talk about what transpired during his time in Barcelona.

The 57-year-old has not managed any club since he was booted out by the Catalans in the winter of 2020 over an alleged poor run of results.

Although he was unable to do exploits for them in the Champions League, he, however, won two Spanish Leagues, one Copa Del Rey, and one Spanish Super Cup for the Blaugranas.

But that appears not enough for the team and they terminated his deal on 13 January 2020, after recording a 3–2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup.

His departure ushered in the reign of former Real Betis handler Quique Setien, who also didn't last more than six months before being shown the exit doors.

Venezuelan boy delighted to meet idol Messi

Legit.ng earlier reported that a little Venezuelan chap who circumvented security details and ran to the pitch to meet Lionel Messi has finally spoken.

Following Argentina’s 3-1 win over Venezuela in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, little Venezuelan boy managed to escape from the stands and ran onto the football pitch.

The camera shows the young boy wearing a Paris Saint-Germain shirt with number 30 on the back running into the field as he navigated his way to meet Messi.

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Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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