‘Holy cr*p! Barcelona live in the past’ – Barca criticised amid Messi pursuit

Robin Bairner

• 31 Mar 2023 11:29 BST
• 3 min read

Former Barcelona player and head coach Ronald Koeman has criticised the club for failing to move with the times.

Koeman returned to Camp Nou at the beginning of the 2020/21 season and lasted until October 2021, when he was sacked because of poor results. He posted a win percentage of over 58% for the Catalans, but that was insufficient to prevent him losing his job and being replaced by Xavi.

The Dutchman has criticised the Camp Nou side for being stuck in the past tactically with an unwavering desire to stick to one way of playing, suggesting that this attitude was part of the reason he left the club.

MORE: Barcelona plot Lionel Messi return with clever contract offer

He also suggested that it could be the downfall of Xavi should results turn against his team in the long term.

“At Barcelona, it's very complicated, because they want you to play good football, with wingers, to dominate...” he told Relevo.

“I've seen games lately and when they have had to defend, they do very well. They concede very few goals concede, and that is part of football, because when the opposing team dominates you, you have to defend yourself.

“It seems that for Barcelona supporters this is not normal, that you always have to play nice. Defending well is also a quality of a team. There are opponents who know how to play, huh?

MORE: Messi to add insult to injury for Ansu Fati

“I was criticised for playing with three defenders and a system like that can be more offensive than one with four or five. It's not a system in itself, but at Barca you have to play three midfielders and a pivot.

“Holy crap! Barcelona live in the past a lot! There are different ways of playing. It depends on the players. In the end, what matters is winning the championship.”

Messi's return another glance to the past

Backing up Koeman’s statement are reports that Barcelona are seeking to find a way to have Lionel Messi return to the club, despite the financial difficulties that it finds itself in.

Messi is expected to cost Barca €6-7m per year in wages and will also receive a cut of marketing money. Given he is now 35, even with his outstanding record and legendary history at the club, this does not appear to be a forward-thinking move by the Camp Nou outfit.

Meanwhile, Xavi is coping well with his first major job, with Barcelona 12 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga and in a strong position in the Copa del Rey.