Joan Laporta has refuted reports he puts pressure on Ronald Koeman to play midfielder Riqui Puig.
Puig is still only 22 years of age and he made 14 La Liga appearances last season, though he is yet to feature in this campaign.
The midfielder was touted to leave Camp Nou in the summer, not part of Koeman‘s plans for the coming campaign.
But Puig stayed, and that has led to some fans suggesting Laporta is such a big fan of the youngster that he has put pressure on Koeman to keep and play him.
But that’s nonsense according to the Barcelona president, who said on Monday, as cited by Diario AS: “I have never said he has to play.
“I may have said I like him, like I like Collado, but I will never pressure my coach.
“I ask the coach ‘how is this one’ or ‘how is another one’. I don’t want to lose a homegrown talent.”
Laporta may not have given an awful lot of reason of late to take all he says as truth across the whole Super League and then Messi sagas, but it’s no surprise that the chatter of him having an influence on Puig’s game time is rubbish.
Puig is at the age where he could be playing every week for Barcelona, but he still only made 14 La Liga appearances last season and 24 appearances in all.
Even after Laporta arrived, Puig started just two La Liga games, and that should be proof enough that it’s totally down to Koeman who plays and who does not.
How can Barca win possession without playing this super good, the boy is extremely good but bec the coach is not good to know better player
Is no good
I don’t even know the different between laporta and koeman. Please who is the president of barcelona because this laporta is afraid koeman. Or koeman have secret that keeps laporta down. Or koeman is using something charms on our president
#Oluwafemi, There is difference between Laporta and Koeman. Laporta is a diplomat, he has skill and tact in dealing with people. Laporta has a vision for New Era Barcelona, and Koeman is not the choice coach for Laporta. After the election of Laporta, he had plans to lure Julian Naggelsman from RB Leipzig to lead New Era Barcelona. Unfortunately, Naggelsman being a German, and too patriotic, Bayern Munich took him earlier and easily. It seems Laporta and his board banged heads but couldn’t find a good Manager to better Koeman. But so far, things are worse. Laporta no doubt is inwardly reasoning on the post of the coach. Sooner he will act on it. Think of how Laporta has made bold calls to let Messi out and Griezzmann too. If Koeman will mess up all through season, then there is charms indeed and Laporta and Koeman are in grieve our souls. Am happy it seems Laporta knows the talent we have in Riqui Puig, he has not allowed Puig to leave. The final jist is to find a coach to unleach the talent in Riqui for the benefit of Barcelona.
Exactly, that’s why we can’t keep the ball indeed. We can’t dictate the play without the ball. We don’t do anything admirable to watch.