Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman assured that his team “is capable of reacting” on Wednesday against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga, after their defeat on Sunday in the classic against Real Madrid 2-1.
“There is always a need to win the match being Barcelona, and even more so after a lost match,” Koeman admitted at the press conference prior to the match.
“We know we have to do it, we have to play well, create opportunities and be effective, but I think the team is capable of reacting well” after Sunday’s defeat, said the Barça coach.
“We are improving things and we do not have to look at a result. I understand that losing to Madrid is disappointing, but there are enough things to be happy with the path we are on, ”added Koeman, whose team is ninth six points behind leaders Real Sociedad.
The loss to Real Madrid led some fans to abronar the manager and hit his car on his way out of the Camp Nou on Sunday.
“For me it is a social problem more than if they are culés …, they are people who have education problems, they do not know what the norms and values are,” said Koeman, who confessed not having been afraid.
“The atmosphere on the pitch, even with 0-2 against it, was the opposite and you don’t have to pay much attention to these people,” Koeman insisted, recalling that it is something that has also happened to players on other occasions.
“It is not necessary to give it more attention because it is a social problem that exists throughout the world,” he said.
– Slope of Ansu Fati –
The Dutch coach rejected that this could have led him to think about leaving it.
«I want to enjoy and be where I think I should be. I want to enjoy. Without it is eight years, if it is a year, if it is three months, “he said, admitting that it always depends on the results.
Facing Rayo, Koeman admitted that he does not know if he will be able to count on Ansu Fati, who finished the classic with discomfort.
«He had some discomfort that has nothing to do with his previous injury. There is still doubt, we have put him in the league and tomorrow morning we will decide if he can travel with us, “said Koeman, who was also asked about the renewal of Ousmane Dembélé, who ends his contract in 2022.
“The most important thing is that we want him to stay with us because he is an important player with different qualities at the top,” said the coach.
“Our goal is to renew the contract, another thing is if you do not want to renew, then we will have to talk as a club what is the best way to deal with this,” he said.
“We have not yet spoken if he does not renew what our strategy would be in this case,” he added, after being asked if the club could consider measures such as leaving him in the stands if he does not renew.
Dembélé, who arrived at Barcelona in 2017 and who ends his contract in June 2022, continues to recover from the disinsertion of the biceps femoris tendon in his right leg that he suffered during the last European Championship and for which he had to undergo surgery.
The French winger has not been included in the list to face Rayo Vallecano, like the young Pedro González ‘Pedri’ who is recovering from muscle discomfort.
“We do not set a return date or Pedri, or (Ronald) Araújo because there are always things that can be a little longer,” he said. AFP (HN)