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Ronald Koeman has revealed that Lionel Messi quitting Barcelona ranks as the worst moment of his reign as manager of the Spanish giants.
Speaking to the press ahead of Barcelona's La Liga game against Atletico Madrid, Koeman revealed that the best moment was when he signed for the club, while the worst moment was the departure of Lionel Messi. Koeman said:
"On the best and the worst about his moments as a coach? It seems that I am already out, with this question, the best moment, signing for the club. The worst moment, the departure of Messi."
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Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona has been one of the biggest talking points during the recently concluded summer transfer window. Due to financial concerns surrounding Barcelona, the club were unable to offer a new contract to Lionel Messi. As a result, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner leaving to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
Earlier in September, Ronald Koeman said that Lionel Messi's contract situation covered up for everything that was wrong at Barcelona during the summer break. Barcelona's financial struggles are well documented and forced them to sell the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi, Miralem Pjanic and Junior Firpo.
Barcelona continue to struggle under Ronald Koeman following the departure of Lionel Messi
Barcelona, without Lionel Messi, are no longer the same club they once used to be. Since Messi's move to PSG, the Catalan giants have had a difficult start to the new season under the management of Ronald Koeman.
Barcelona are currently struggling to find form in La Liga as well as in the Champions League. The Catalan giants are sixth in the league table having amassed 12 points from their opening six matches.
However, it is the Champions League where Barcelona have struggled the most. Ronald Koeman's side have lost both of their Champions League games by 3-0 scorelines, first against Bayern Munich and then against Benfica.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has started to find his feet at PSG. He bagged his first goal for his new side against Manchester City, linking up nicely with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
This poor run of form has cast a deep shadow over the future of Ronald Koeman at Barcelona, with reports suggesting the Dutchman will be sacked very soon. A couple of candidates have been linked with the Barcelona job, including Xavi Hernandez and Roberto Martinez.
