MADRID, 6 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The FC Barcelona coach, Ronald Koeman, has assured that the load of matches this season is “killing” the players, and that this has to “stop” to prevent them from being seriously injured, and has insisted that he believes that the referees are “honest” and that in no case do they whistle “against” their team, in addition to warning of the danger of this Sunday’s game against Real Betis in LaLiga Santander.
“It is very difficult to have so many games for a big club. You have to communicate with the players to see how they feel and how they are physically. Sometimes you have to give them rest to be able to have everyone in the best condition. It is difficult for a player to play every game. In my opinion, it is too much; we are killing the players. We cannot continue like this, we must stop, we are going to kill the players, “he declared at a press conference.
However, the Dutch coach assured that he sees the team “well and recovered” despite the load of matches. “It is a difficult moment, because we have many games, four with extra time and many away from home, traveling, arriving late … We have to recover, and it is much better when you win than when you lose. We are on a path in which the people are happy, we are doing a good job. You have to be prepared for the next game, “he said.
In this sense, he did not reveal if he will reserve a player for the first match of the Cup semifinals against Sevilla. “It is never good for a coach to say which game is more important. The next one is the most important. I go from day to day and go game by game. It is the best way to prepare the games,” he insisted, before to assure that he does not like the idea of having a different goalkeeper for the cup tournament, which is why Neto did not play against Granada.
“I’m not a coach who lets the second goalkeeper play in the Cup. In each tie we talk about the goalkeeper and I spoke to ‘Dela’ -José Ramón de la Fuente, goalkeeping coach- and we decided to play with Marc. It may (that Neto) be the goalkeeper against Sevilla, we haven’t decided yet, we’ll see. I’m not so strict, it depends on many things, “he said.
“I can’t deny that the other day I was very happy and very proud of the team’s attitude. But I don’t know for how long, because soccer is a rare sport; today we have the sun and tomorrow it may rain. I liked it a lot the other day “, he acknowledged about the meeting in the Nuevo Los Cármenes.
In another vein, he did not agree with the words of Gerard Piqué, who assured that the referees are more favorable to Real Madrid. “These are Gerard’s words, it is his responsibility. I cannot speak of previous years, because I was not here. This year there were decisions in which we have not had much luck, but I do not want to say that we have the referees against us. Always I think that any referee whistles what he sees, and there is also the VAR. Controversy can be created for a penalty the other day against Granada, which for me is not enough to whistle it, but they are decisions of the referee. I always think that the referee is honest “, he stated.
“SERGI ROBERTO’S INJURY IS A STICK FOR EVERYONE”
On the other hand, he acknowledged that the new injury to Sergi Roberto, who has been out for several weeks this course, “is a stick for everyone.” “I asked Sergi Roberto at half-time in the match against Granada how he was doing and if he held on and he said ‘I’m fine, I don’t have any discomfort’. Eight minutes later, he was injured again,” he said.
“It’s bad luck, you have to accept it. You have to have courage. We have spoken this morning, I encourage him and I hope he recovers and is well to help the team again,” he said, acknowledging that he can now be “discarded” for the first leg of the Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
However, he did not want to assess the state of Ansu Fati after his second operation. “Out of respect for the player, I am not the person who should speak about his recovery. You have to have respect for him and I am not in favor of taking things out. When there is something, we will communicate it. The most important thing is that he recovers calmly. He has a lot future ahead and you have to do things right, “he said.
Instead, he was happy with the improvement of French Antoine Griezmann. “I remember that when I signed for Barça, I called Antoine and told him that I had a lot of confidence in him, I told him to feel important. At the beginning of the year he was not effective, but I never had doubts about him. He has self-criticism, and that. he is important as a player. He has always worked hard to give the best of himself. You can’t ask for more, “he revealed.
About Ousmane Dembélé, he explained that he has “improved a lot physically” and in terms of “rhythm”. “He is great, he has one against one, he is fast, I love it. He is very involved, he is very happy and we have to continue like this,” he said about the French forward.
Finally, Koeman insisted that the future of Leo Messi is only in the hands of himself. “I believe that there is only one person who can decide about his future, which is Leo. We as a club and I as a coach would like him to stay here for more years, and we will try to give good feelings so that he is happy; if he is happy as he is this season gives the team a lot of effectiveness, we need it. He is an impressive player for his quality and has a lot of energy to help the team. The future is in his hands, “he concluded.