Koeman on Messi's departure: "We no longer have the player who can decide the fate of matches alone"
Dutch coach Ronald Koeman admitted that he still preferred "the presence of Lionel Messi" in the Barcelona squad, ten days after his shocking departure to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona played its first match in the Spanish Football League on Sunday, beating its guest Real Sociedad 4-2.
The Argentine, the best player in the world six times, is absent from Barcelona after spending nearly 20 years in its ranks since his arrival at the age of thirteen to the Catalan team.
His trip ended due to the salary cap that prevented the renewal of his contract, in order to avoid threatening the club's budget, according to what President Joan Laporta said.
"If I could choose, I would still like to keep Leo Messi in my team," Koeman said.
He continued about the 34-year-old, "We no longer have the player who can decide the fate of matches alone. Now the effort will become a collective."
Messi, who had a rich career with Barcelona, moved to Saint-Germain, one of the few clubs that can afford his fantastic salary.
Koeman praised the 20,000 spectators at the Camp Nou, who were allowed to return for the first time since the outbreak of the Coruna virus 18 months ago.
Koeman added, "From the beginning, our fans were with us and were behind the team. It makes a big difference."
The former coach of the Dutch national team added, "It is completely different if we want to compare it with a match from last season .. And as I said before, the image of the team is the most important."
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