"There was no intensity, no tactics, no ideas" - Miralem Pjanic slams former Barcelona manager
Sharjah FC midfielder Miralem Pjanic has hit out at former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, claiming his training sessions were devoid of tactics and ideas. However, he has heaped praise on Xavi Hernandez.
Pjanic, 32, joined the Blaugrana from Juventus in a deal worth up to €65 million in the summer of 2020. Despite impressing in Serie A, he failed to live up to expectations at Camp Nou. He made 30 appearances for the Catalan giants without scoring or assisting a goal before departing for Sharjah FC earlier this summer.
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Speaking to Què T'hi Jugues (via Cadena SER), Pjanic expressed his dissatisfaction with Koeman's methods at Barcelona. He said:
"I was very surprised in training with Koeman. There was no intensity, no tactics, no ideas. We did not prepare for the games.
"Preparation and training were good under Xavi, similar to what I was used to at Juventus, for example, where we won everything. Now the sessions at Barça have a lot of intensity."
He added:
"The decision to leave Barça was not easy, there is an extraordinary team, with the staff, with the public, you feel that they are all united. Things were phenomenal with Xavi.
"The way he plays, how he prepares and how he trains was much better than what happened with Koeman. You see that the team has a structure and very clear ideas."
He continued:
"I did the whole pre-season, I convinced Xavi that I have the quality, but in the end, in the first games, I couldn't show my value. This start of the season I expected to play a little more. I was in the biggest club in the world, but if I can't give something I can't be happy, because I love playing."
Pjanic has opened his new chapter on a positive note. He has registered two goals and one assist in three UAE Pro League matches this season.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are currently atop the 2022-23 La Liga standings with 19 points from seven games. The club are next scheduled to take on Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou on Sunday (October 9).
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Ferran Torres falls out of favour with Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez
According to El Nacional, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has lost trust in out-of-form forward Ferran Torres. The Blaugrana are now considering a move away for the player, with Juventus linked with him.
Torres, 22, arrived from Manchester City for €55 million in January this year. He has scored just one goal in 238 minutes of first-team action for the Catalan giants over eight games this season.