Barcelona’s head coach, Ronald Koeman, commented on the departure of star player Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain days ago. In a press conference prior to the match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad, Koeman responded to a question about Messi leaving Barcelona after 17 years with the Spanish club, stating: "I think it was painful for all Catalans."
Koeman added, "I understand well what Messi has given to this club and his great technical abilities. We will miss him since he is an important player in the history of Barcelona," as reported by the Spanish newspaper "AS." He remarked, "We cannot live in the past alone; these things happen, players change clubs, and we have enthusiastic young players with a bright future."
He continued: "I hope we receive support and backing from the fans. Messi is now part of the past, and we must coexist with what is happening and what awaits us in the future. You have to live for today and tomorrow and work hard to achieve what you want."
Regarding the new season, Koeman clarified: "I know a lot has been said about Messi; this is normal because we are talking about the best player in the world and what he provided for us at Barcelona, winning many titles with us. But he is not here now, and we must focus on the young players and have a very strong team to win trophies."
Paris Saint-Germain introduced their new star Messi to the fans at the Parc des Princes stadium before their match against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Saturday, but the Argentina captain was not included in the match lineup. Messi entered the field alongside new players Sergio Ramos, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, and Georginio Wijnaldum, and spoke to the enthusiastic fans.
Messi said: "This is a very special week for me. I want to thank everyone for the welcome I received upon arriving in Paris. It was amazing. I feel very happy and hugely excited." He joined PSG the previous week with a two-year contract, including an option for an additional year, after Barcelona announced that they could not afford to keep their all-time top scorer due to La Liga's financial fair play regulations.
