Lionel Messi’s special treatment at Barcelona is over under Ronald Koeman
Messi’s free role at Barcelona might just come to an end under Ronald Koeman
Barcelona was handed a golden opportunity before their fixture against Getafe as Real Madrid surprisingly succumbed to well organized and dominant Cadiz. However, the Catalans failed to make the most out of the opportunity despite dominating the game against Getafe.
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Barca dominated possession against Getafe as they finished the game with 72% possession. However, the shocking statistic from the fixture was that the club had just one shot on target in 90 minutes.
The 1-0 defeat against Getafe did not go down well in the dressing room and Ronald Koeman did not cut back when asked about his team’s performance as well.
Nonetheless, the Blaugrana are now set to face Ferencvaros in the UEFA Champions League. Given the embarrassing way that Barca was knocked out last season against Bayern Munich, Ronald Koeman was questioned whether his side is mentally prepared for Europe’s elite competition. To which he replied;
"The big lesson for me is that if you don’t play as a team, you will not win- Ronald Koeman when asked about the defeat against Bayern Munich"
What Koeman demands from his side is cohesion and relentless pressing to always keep the opposition on the back foot. However, Lionel Messi, in particular, does not press much given the fact that he prefers to walk for most of the game and only use his energy when required. This in no manner is a poor attitude from the captain as his style of play has helped Barca bring laurels over the years.
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However, Ronald Koeman demands more from the Argentine who has scored just one goal this season. The Dutch manager’s style of play could possibly mark the ending of Messi’s freedom up ahead on the field. Nevertheless, it is most likely Messi’s last season as a Barcelona player and hopefully, he could bow out from the Camp Nou by winning the Champions League this season with Barca.