On August 20, one day after its presentation, Ronald Koeman sat down to talk to Leo messi, which came down from La Cerdanya expressly. The captain was Koeman’s priority and he couldn’t wait. The coach wanted to seduce him, explained his game plan and put some names on the table. The Dutchman left the meeting thinking that the Argentine had many doubts but at no time did he expect what came next. The contempt, the burofax, the will to leave, the growing anger of the player that seemed irreversible, the sit-in at training …
In the end, it was not against him or had nothing to do with the change on the bench. So Koeman wants to start from scratch with the star. He will not be taken into account because the coach wants him to lead his project. “He is the best in the world and you want to have him in your team and not the other way around. I would love to have him because he wins matches ”, was the Dutchman’s declaration of intent on his debut. It is the great challenge for Koeman.
After the closure of the case with the Argentine’s interview, in which he acknowledged not having been happy at the club during the last season, the great challenge for the coach is to rejoice the forward.
Leader of the new project
The coach understands that what happened in the captain’s case was not against him and wants to start from scratch
Messi is expected on Monday afternoon in the sports city and will have to work the first days alone with individual exercises as stipulated in the LaLiga protocol for the return to training. At this time, the costumes will still be recognizable because Luis Suárez and Arturo Vidal are still there. But the intention of Koeman, who came with clear ideas of what he had to put aside, is that both change of scene. Messi must find his place in the new habitat that is created. It is the cycle of life. Without the Uruguayan, the Chilean or Rakitic, Leo will become the oldest of the squad and will have to take another step in the sponsorship of new and young people. He already knows Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig – he had fun with them in Vitoria before the Champions League, for example. Others like Pedri and Trincão are waiting for their mastery.
The coach is able to re-engage ten with an attractive and modern football, with an important role for the wings and with Frenkie de Jong being the key player in the engine room, taking the ball from one area to the other. “I am very happy that Messi is staying, because he is the best player in the world. That makes me happy, “said the midfielder, the first Barça player to comment on the continuity of the crack. Before homegrown players like Piqué, Busquets, Alba or Sergi Roberto.
In the Goal.com interview, Leo assured that his attitude will be the same and that he will give his best. In Barcelona they know that with the motivated star their options go up. Last year in the League, without having a good feeling, it was Pichichi (25 goals), the one who distributed the most assists (21), the one who dribbled the most rivals (283) and gave the most passes in the opposite field (1,683). A torrent of productivity that must be better exploited with a new system that works for you.
Changing roles?
Griezmann and Coutinho were going to be important but they have not had a great connection with ten
As of January 1, the Argentine will be free to negotiate and sign with any other club. But the presidential hopefuls in the upcoming elections dream of convincing him to be a One club man . If something has become clear, it is that the captain does not swallow the president, who said that WhatsApp has been sent with the player but has not spoken with him. With Leo on his back, combative and that nothing is silent, the president will have very difficult now to go down to the locker room. Koeman is between two lands. You need to get along with both of them. But neither can he marry any of them because perhaps on July 1, 2021, none of them will be there.
The Dutchman must think carefully about how to surround Messi. When Koeman spoke to Griezmann, he promised him an important role in the team after a first year in which he ended up as a substitute in Lisbon. He also told Coutinho that he would have a new opportunity after the transfer at Bayern. Neither the French nor the Brazilian, the two most expensive signings in the club’s history, have shown a great connection with the ten. Unlike. They are seen shy, afraid to try things, less footballers than they really are, perhaps because their ideal position is practically the same as Messi’s. If all three fit, it’s extra work for Koeman.
