5 players who have been cast aside by Ronald Koeman at Barcelona
Ronald Koeman's spell as Barcelona manager has left a lot to be desired. The Dutchman was appointed after the dismissal of Quique Setien in the summer of 2020, with the task to steady the Blaugrana's sinking ship. But his stint at Camp Nou has produced more questions than answers thus far.
Apart from delivering unconvincing results, Ronald Koeman also has a rather worrying history of metting out seemingly unfair treatment on players. The tactician has spent just over a year in charge of the dressing room. Yet multiple players have already pointed fingers at him for casting them aside for little-known reasons.
In fact, the Dutchman has fallen out with a big section of fans simply because he has mistreated a few players over the last few months. On that note, here is a look at five players Ronald Koeman has cast aside since becoming the Barcelona manager.
#5 Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanic joined Barcelona from Juventus ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. The Bosnian arrived with great enthusiasm to prove his worth at a club, but soon found himself surplus to requirements under Ronald Koeman.
Miralem Pjanic: "Ronald Koeman has disrespected me. He put the cross on me from the beginning. I wish he would have told me to my face what he wanted from me, but he never did. He's a very strange coach. It's the first time I've seen such a management." https://t.co/CVviiiNyfs
The midfielder found opportunities difficult to come by last term, albeit for incomprehensible reasons. Pjanic started only 13 games for Barcelona last campaign, completing 90 minutes only five times. He was eventually sent on loan to Besiktas during this summer.
The midfielder held nothing back as he blasted Koeman for treating him in such a manner shortly after leaving the club. He said:
"Last year in Barcelona, the coach made decisions that I didn't understand, I wasn't very lucky. I could have played for Barcelona. I needed more minutes, but it was the coach's decision."
He continued:
"He had to figure it out, and find a place where I could play. It was a very difficult situation to accept, but I wasn’t going to fight. There was a person who was never going to change. He’s the coach."
#4 Riqui Puig
One of the brightest youngsters in Barcelona's squad, Riqui Puig slipped down the radar after Ronald Koeman took charge of affairs at Camp Nou. It is difficult to understand why Puig continues to suffer under the Dutchman.
🗣️ Ronald Koeman: “Riqui Puig? The club as well as everyone else knows my opinion about players who will not get a place in the starting line-up.”
‼️‼️‼️ https://t.co/mUGbcM2ICu
The midfielder started just four games for the Blaugrana last season, completing 90 minutes only once. So far this season, he has made four appearances, all from the bench. More disappointingly, the Spaniard has accumulated only 72 minutes out of a possible 810 under Koeman.