The Argentine has only scored one goal in open play this season, but his coach insisted that Barça continue better with him on his side.
Lionel Messi is still the best footballer in the world and makes Barcelona a better team when he’s on the wing, says head coach Ronald Koeman.
The Argentine international was included among the substitutes in a La Liga game for the first time since September 2019 in Saturday’s 5-2 win over Real Betis at the Camp Nou.
He hadn’t been able to score or assist since open play in six league games this period leading up to last weekend’s contest, but Koeman denied being let go and called his absence from the sidelines a hit.
Messi ended his open-play drought by driving home as a substitute at half-time against Betis, having previously scored his fifth penalty of the season in all competitions.
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Koeman has reaffirmed that he has full faith in the forward, who failed in an attempt to walk away from the club late last season.
“Messi has shown me that I am a person who wants to win things and remain the best, even though he has had his problems with the club,” Koeman said. Sport .
“Barcelona has been, is and will be a better team with Messi than without him. When I arrived, they told me that Messi was not happy.
“We spoke at his house and he explained his reasons to me. I was honest. I told him that the only thing is the system, his position on the field, his importance in the team.
“But the problems he had had with the club he couldn’t change. From day one I have said the same. He is the best and is committed to the club.
“He has had his problems, his problems this summer, but since he returned to training he has been very good.
“He has had bad luck in some games and has not been able to deliver the usual performance, but I am sure that at the end of the season he will have scored the usual goals.”
Koeman replaced Quique Setien prior to the 2020-21 campaign and oversaw Barca’s worst joint start to a La Liga campaign after six games in the three-point-a-win era.
But the former Dutch coach has attributed some of his team’s early struggles to poor refereeing and is confident that positive changes are being made on the pitch.
“We have been able to change the image of the team. We have made changes that have given another air to the group,” he said.
“People are very involved, very committed. We have increased the intensity of the training sessions and we played good games.
“It is true that we have lost many points in the league, in games in which we could have achieved a better result. Referee decisions have influenced the final result in some.
“We know we have to improve things and we are working towards that. Now we have a break, but we are already preparing a very demanding schedule for when we return.”
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