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Ronald Koeman has given his thoughts on Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona this summer.
The Argentine superstar joined French giants PSG as a free agent after La Liga prohibited the Blaugrana from re-signing him.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Koeman was asked whether he was worried when Messi could not re-sign with Barcelona. He replied:
"From the first moment we heard the news that he was not coming back, it was a stick for everyone, including me because you lose the best in the world, you lose 30 goals or more per season and his assists, the opposite is afraid if he plays ... and many more things that we have lost. It took a couple of days to recover but there is no choice but to turn the page and build things more as a team, giving more importance to the strategy to achieve the number of goals we need to win."
Lionel Messi played for Barcelona for almost two decades and was reportedly ready to re-sign with the club earlier this summer. However, La Liga's sanctions on the Blaugrana did not allow the club to offer the forward a contract.
It remains to be seen how Barcelona will cope without Messi during the 2021-22 season.
Ronald Koeman believes that Barcelona can improve in some ways without Lionel Messi
Ronald Koeman was also asked whether there would be any change in tactics now that Lionel Messi is no longer part of the Barcelona team.
The Dutchman explained that even though there wouldn't be a difference in how the team plays, Barcelona can still improve some aspects of their game without Messi. He said:
"It does not force tactically to play differently but there are things without the ball in which the team can improve. We will no longer have the individual quality of Leo, but in pressing, in joining the team is better now."
Barcelona also lost Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid this summer. The forward's compatriot, PSG's Kylian Mbappe, was the subject of transfer interest from Barcelona's La Liga rivals Real Madrid towards the end of the transfer window.
When asked if he was relieved that the forward did not join Real Madrid after both Messi and Griezmann departed Barcelona in the same window, Koeman replied:
"Mbappé is one of the best in the world and of course, if an opponent like Madrid signs a player like that, he will be stronger. I hope that all the good guys, if they don't come to Barça, they go to teams from another league. Yes of course."
