Ronald Koeman's appointment as Barcelona's new coach has been met with mixed reactions, but those who know the coach and the team agree on one thing: the Dutch coach may not be the best option to lead the team's transition process after their 8-2 loss against Bayern München.
Speaking in recent interviews with Cataluña Radio and Onda Cero, former Blaugrana player and Koeman pupil Gerard Deulofeu shared an unflattering opinion about the recently appointed coach, while also aiming a few digs at his former club.
"I can speak about Koeman from my personal experience, and I have very little to say about him. He barely had a contribution to my development as a player. I was not happy at all while under him, I asked the club to let me go and I went to play for Milan. Let's see how he does at Camp Nou," Deulofeu stated.
The former La Masía member then turned his sights against his former club, hinting that he did not leave the club on the best terms.
"Honestly I don't feel sorry for what happened to Barcelona. In fact, I couldn't care less about how they're doing. They have spent the last few years having no patience for young players. If they had given them time, they would have learned the way the first team plays. They have the raw material to excel, but the club has not been patient and they are suffering the consequences right now," the wingman added.
Deulofeu went on with his insight, and he aimed one more dig at the Blaugrana side due to their lack of touch when speaking about those players that may not continue playing for the club.
"I think the club is not respecting the players that were included in the alleged transfer list. We are talking about players that have given their all and won everything for Barcelona, but the club decided to go down that road and they will have to face the consequences," the player stated.
Last, but not least, Deulofeu referred to Lionel Messi's possible exit from the club.
"I don't know what will happen with Messi, because I am not inside his head, but I would not like to see him leave Barcelona. He's made history there and I'd love to see him stay there. His career there has been amazing," Deulofeu concluded.
