‘He will definitely be out in the first leg against PSG

Ronald Koeman spoke at the press conference before the La Liga stint at Real Betis about the high stress on his team, the health of Ansu Fati and Sergi Roberto, Lionel Messi’s contract situation, the development and mentality of his team as well as Barça’s unhappy relationship with the VAR .

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At the press conference before the 22nd La Liga matchday at Real Betis Sevilla (Sunday, 9 p.m., live im Barçawelt-Liveticker) Ronald Koeman answered journalists’ questions:

Ronald Koeman …

… about the strain on his team: “It’s very difficult for us at the moment, we’ve played a lot of games. We’ve played a lot lately and played four extra times in our bones. We have to recover, and that works a lot better when you win than when you lose Number of games is a problem for all big teams. You have to communicate a lot with the players to see how they are doing and give them small breaks. We have already played twelve games this year, eleven of them in the Stranger, we’re going to play in the cup again next week. It’s definitely too much, but I’m not the first to speak about it. We are damaging the players, FIFA and UEFA have to think about the number of games and what they are giving the players There are a lot of injuries associated with it. “

… about Ansu Fati’s new operation: “Out of respect for the person, I will not be the one to talk about his healing process. I will not comment on these reports. If there is something to announce, we will communicate it. The most important thing is that he recovers in peace The boy has a great future ahead of him and we have to now [in Bezug auf seine Verletzung] Doing everything right.”

… about alleged discrimination by the referees: “I can’t talk about the past few years, I can only comment on our games this season and I have to say that there have been decisions where we weren’t very lucky, but I don’t want to say that the referees Whistle against us. I think they punish what they see – there is also the VAR. In Granada, in my opinion, it was not correct to whistle a penalty against us, but that’s the way the decisions are made, that’s what there is the VAR. I always assume that the referee decides to the best of his knowledge and belief and does not favor or disadvantage a team. “

… about a possible contract extension for Lionel Messi: “There is only one person who can make this decision about his future. I would like him to stay with Barça for many years to come. Leo is an incredible quality and we need him. He has a great mentality and brings a lot of energy into the team. He alone decides about the future. “

… about the team’s mentality:“I can’t deny that in Granada I was very happy and proud of the quality and morale of the team. Unfortunately you can never tell how long it will go on, football is a strange sport – the sun is shining for you today and tomorrow it can rain again. Against Real Betis we have to prove ourselves again and it doesn’t matter what was in the last games. We have to prove again tomorrow that we are on the right track. “

… about Sergi Roberto’s renewed injury: “He will definitely be out for the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain. That is a setback for all of us and of course most of all for the player. In the half-time break against Granada he told me he had no complaints and eight minutes after the restart he was injured. But we have to stay positive now. I spoke to him briefly today and encouraged him to relax in order to be able to help the team again afterwards. “

… about Clement Lenglet: “He is an important player for us, he has already played a lot this season. There is currently a lot of competition in his position, Umtiti has recovered well from his injury and is providing more alternatives in central defense, which we all do It’s not about one player being better than the other, sometimes you do a good job and the next game still has another player involved. “

… about the development of Ousmane Dembélé: “For every player, the physical condition is of fundamental importance. Our whole team has improved a lot physically, otherwise they would not be able to play every three days, including four games over 120 minutes combined with a lot of away trips. It was really impressive how we in the extension [gegen Granada] performed – the team has developed great. As for Ousmane in detail, I can’t talk about the past few years and what happened during that time, but if I watch him now, he has improved physically, he also plays regularly. He’s very good at one-on-one, he’s fast – he’s the type of player that I like. He is very committed and I have the impression that he is also very happy, we have to keep that up. If he needs a break, like the other day, then we have to support him and take him out to get the best out of him. “

… about Antoine Griezmann: “I still remember our call together when I signed with Barça. I told him that I had great faith in him and that I was counting on him. I know he wasn’t as effective in the beginning as he is now but I never doubted him. He’s very self-critical and I’m happy to have him on my team. He works very hard on himself, always trying to improve to help the team. You can do more with you Player do not expect. “

… about Barça’s chances in the title fight: “There is always hope, but it is not in our own hands. We play during the week, Atlético only plays on the weekends so they are fresher. It’s up to us to keep winning games, but it will be very difficult, so realistic You have to be. Nevertheless, we still have hope because we are constantly improving and the team is very committed. “

… about a possible use of Neto in the cup: “I have already said at this point that I am not one of the coaches who use the second goalkeeper in the Cup. I speak to José Ramón de la Fuente every game [dem Torwarttrainer, Anm. d. Red.]but we haven’t decided on the line-up for Wednesday’s game in Seville. We’ll definitely play with the best team to win the game. The line-up always depends on many things, on the form and the attitude of the players. First of all, the game on Sunday is important for us, the next game is always the most important thing. “

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