Barcelona's future ... drowned the "yellow submarines" and gave Messi a goal
Barcelona Dutch coach Ronald Koeman praised the promising star of Catalan club Anso Fati, after his effective contribution to the big victory over Villarreal (4-0) on Sunday in the third stage of the Spanish Football League.
Fati imposed himself as a star for the first game of the Blaugrana in the La Liga this season by scoring a double (15 and 19) and catching a penalty kick that Argentine star Lionel Messi translated into a third goal (35) before the latter caused the fourth goal by defender Bao by mistake in his team's goal (45).
"He is a young player who has to look for regularity in his style of play and his performance," Koeman said in a statement to "Movistar Plus".
"He has proven that he has an impressive future ahead of him, and I am very happy with him. His incursions into the left flank were enormous. We knew how to benefit from his qualifications very well."
Koeman expressed his happiness with his team’s performance, saying, “I am happy with the team’s performance, especially in the first half, where we scored four goals, and we made a great level with a lot of speed ... The only downside is that we lost a lot of balls and our intensity decreased in the second half.”
Koman sent a strongly worded message to his critics and rivals by the big victory over Villarreal, stressing his readiness to return the team to the coronation podiums that he missed last season in all competitions.
On the other hand, Koeman praised his French star Antoine Griezmann, who pushed him mainly alongside Messi and Fati and Brazilian Felipe Coutinho, who returned to the team after he was on loan to Bayern Munich.
"Griezmann played in a position that requires him to start from the right wing and penetrate into the midfield. In our way of playing, he does not have to play on the wing, he must penetrate into the midfield to open spaces, and he can change his position with Leo (Messi)," Koeman said.
He added, "I am happy with his work and his performance (although he did not score any goal), and I pay little attention to whoever scores (goals)."
Regarding the contract with a new center attack to compensate for the departure of the Uruguayan international, Luis Suarez, to Atletico Madrid, Coman said: "It is always good to have a center attack in order to have another plan in attack, but we can play perfectly without heart attacking or the striker No. 9."
Coman Suarez was excluded from Barcelona's squad this season and told him that he was outside his plans immediately after the Dutchman took office in mid-August, succeeding Kiki Setien, who was sacked after the humiliating defeat by Bayern Munich, 2-8 in the quarter-finals of the Champions League competition.
Last Friday, Suárez moved to the ranks of Atlético de Madrid and did not delay in responding to Coman by scoring a double with a decisive pass in 24 minutes, which he played as a substitute in the match against Granada, which was decided by the second pole of the capital in his favor 6-1.
Suarez was not the only player excluded from Koeman's plans, as Chilean Arturo Vidal left for Inter Milan, Croatian Ivan Rakitic returned to his former club, Sevilla, and Nelson Simedo joined the English ranks of Wolverhampton.
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