Ronald Koeman spoke at the press conference before FC Barcelona’s second leg in the Champions League round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain about Barça’s chances of another ‘Remontada’, the new President Joan Laporta and his influence on a possible contract extension for Lionel Messi.
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At the press conference before the second leg of the second leg in the Champions League at Paris Saint-Germain (Wednesday, 9 p.m., live on DAZN and in the Barçawelt live ticker), Ronald Koeman answered journalists’ questions:
Ronald Koeman …
… about the possibility of another ‘Remontada’: “I think nothing is impossible. We are in good shape but you can be 2-0 down after an away game [gegen Sevilla im Pokal] Don’t compare it to a 4-1 first-leg result in a home game, that’s a lot more complicated. PSG are very strong and aim for maximum success in the Champions League. To have a chance of progressing, we have to be very effective tomorrow. We always compete to win and we will try everything tomorrow too. We believe in ourselves and will show the mentality that we have had for a long time. “
… about Lionel Messi’s role in tomorrow’s game: “If we want to turn the game around, we need every player to be in top form. If Leo is able to put his best performance on the field tomorrow, anything is possible – he can decide any game at any time. But we can We don’t just rely on him, the whole team has to give its best tomorrow. We have to play our game, be effective and then we need a little luck. We’ll see tomorrow if we can dominate PSG and put them under pressure. “
… about bad memories of the Parisians of the ‘Remontada’ in 2017: “I don’t think PSG is afraid of us. The coach will prepare the team as well as possible and warn them not to think that they are already one more round. Also, tomorrow’s game will be different from when we were not at home We have to focus on our game and ignore everything else. “
… about the failures of Ronald Araujo and Gerard Piqué: “We haven’t had all the players available in a single game this season. We are unlucky with many injuries, especially in central defense, but we have also shown that we are not dependent on one or two specific players. The team is strong and we will try again to compensate for these failures. “
“We spoke to Ronald and analyzed his last two weeks of training. We forced his return a little and then he had complaints again. I don’t want to take any chances now, he needs more training sessions with the team first and if everything goes well, he is standing he is available again on Monday against Huesca. “
… on whether Joan Laporta’s relationship with Lionel Messi increases the Argentine’s chances of a contract extension: “It’s true that Laporta has a past with Leo and other players. That’s positive, but I don’t know if he can influence Leo’s decision and if his presidency now increases the chances of staying with us. I hope he stays with us Laporta clearly won the election. The Culés made the decision and now it is good to have a president like him who will take care of the future of the club. “
… about his relationship with Joan Laporta: “I know him, we’ve met a couple of times in the past. I also know Frank Rijkaard well, who was at Barça during Laporta’s presidency. He gives the players a lot of trust and is very committed to his job To help coaches and players, but in the end it all depends on the results. He said a few words to the players and staff in the dressing room, and there was a good atmosphere. Now we have to continue on the path we have chosen and tomorrow is already here another test ahead of us to prove we are on the right track. “
More on the subject:
… about the failures of Neymar and Moise Kean: “That doesn’t concern me. We have to put in a very good performance tomorrow, play our game, create scoring opportunities and when we have the feeling that we did our best then we can be satisfied and see what we can achieve. It is the most important thing is that we do our best and try everything. The worst thing would be if we have to reproach ourselves for not having tried everything. “
… about the experienced French players on his team: “We know that our French players are very ambitious and want to win the game tomorrow. They know what it takes to turn the game around. We have to reach our best level tomorrow, individually and collectively, and do things better, which we didn’t do well in the first leg.
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