"I don't know why I'm not playing as much as I'd hoped"- says Barcelona's Miralem Pjanic
Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic has expressed his frustration due to a lack of playing time. The midfielder joined Barcelona from Juventus last summer and has failed to nail down a regular starting birth with the Catalan giants.
Pjanic joined Barcelona from Juventus in a swap deal which saw Arthur Melo join the Bianconeri. Juventus paid €72 million for Arthur while Barcelona spent €60 million on Pjanic.
Barcelona fans were excited by the prospect of signing Miralem Pjanic, who had developed into one of the best midfielders in Europe during his four years with Juventus.
Pjanic played a key role in Juventus winning four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia titles during his time at the club. He was named in the Serie A Team of the Year for the 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 seasons.
Miralem Pjanic joined Barcelona with enormous expectations on his shoulders as he was expected to be the ideal replacement for Andres Iniesta, who left the club in the summer of 2018.
The 30-year-old has, however, failed to do so and has blamed a lack of opportunities for his limited impact on the Barcelona side. Pjanic has publicly expressed his frustration, but is determined to turn things around.
'The exact reasons why I've not had the playing time expected, I don't have them. I keep working and you have to respect the decisions that are taken, even if you don't agree. I want to leave my mark at this club," Miralem Pjanic told Telefoot.
Miralem Pjanic believes Barcelona's clash with PSG in the Champions League won't be easy
Miralem Pjanic issued a warning to his Barcelona teammates ahead of their clash with PSG in the round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night. The Bosnian midfielder said that the match won't be for either team, and that PSG are desperate to win the Champions League.
'It's the last 16 match, and it won't be easy for either team. For us, the fans and the club, it is very important to beat PSG. What PSG really want is the Champions League as for them winning the Ligue 1 is almost an obligation," said Miralem Pjanic.
Pjanic will be hoping that he will be given the opportunity to make an impact at Barcelona as the Catalan giants approach the crunch phase of their season.