Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig has risked angering manager Ronald Koeman with his latest comments when asked to choose which coach he prefers the most.
Puig was asked by reporters to pick from Quique Setien, Koeman, and Pep Guardiola and made his choice and his explanation pretty clear, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
He said, “I think because of the way he understands football and how he has treated me, I’ll say Setién. He was very close to me. He’s helped me a lot and I learned a lot from him.”
Koeman’s treatment of Puig has come under scrutiny since he took charge of the Catalan giants in the summer of 2020. The Dutchman initially advised Puig to go out on loan in order to play regularly.
Puig opted to stay but struggled for game time under Koeman and spent most of his time on the bench, making only two La Liga starts in 2020-21.
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Puig Not Planning on Leaving
The youngster also spoke about his future after a tough campaign last time out and insisted he has no plans on leaving. Puig was asked which club he’d like to play for if he ever left Barcelona and made it clear he’s not thinking of a transfer.
He explained, “Because of the style of play and how there is a coach who understands football like me, I’ll say Manchester City – but at the moment, I’m very good at Barcelona and I do not plan to leave.”
Indeed the youngster once again reiterated his desire to succeed at Barcelona and spoke about his current aims.
“I’m a very ambitious player and I’m not satisfied with the minutes I get,” he said. “I’d like to play many matches, score goals and win titles to be a recognized player, so that the world will know about me!”
Puig already knows Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola well and was offered some advice from the former Barcelona boss in June at a golf tournament in Real Mallorca, as reported by Roger Torello at Mundo Deportivo.
“The work of a coach and players is never easy, Iniesta did not start at Barça until he was 24 or 25 years old, I know that he is a strong boy and he is about persisting and moving forward,” he said. “If you are determined to do it and continue, football always ends up giving you back what you give it.”
Puig looks set to stay at Barcelona for the 2021-22 but may once again find it difficult to convince Koeman of his quality. Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Sergio Busquets were the Dutchman’s preferred midfield trio last season, while 18-year-old Ilaix Moriba also emerged as a favorite of Koeman by the end of the campaign.
Puig Full Of Praise For Pedri
The arrival of Pedri from Las Palmas in the summer of 2020 may have hurt Puig’s first-team chances, but the Catalan made it clear just how highly he rates the Spain international.
Pedri has already become a regular fixture in the Barcelona starting XI and has followed up an impressive debut campaign with some eye-catching performances for Spain at Euro 2020.
Puig says that he has also been surprised by the youngster but is backing the Spaniard to go on and become a huge success at the Camp Nou.
“He is a player who has surprised me the most this season because of his age, all the minutes he has played and how he has shown it on the field,” he said. “He is showing his quality and I am convinced that he can give a lot of joy to the club.”
Pedri has had a busy summer playing at Euro 2020 and has also been included in the Spain squad for the Olympics which means he will miss the start of pre-season with Barcelona.
Puig and his teammates are due back for medical checks on July 9 and 10 before a first training session ahead of the new campaign on July 12. Barca’s first game of the new La Liga season is against Real Sociedad on August 15 at the Camp Nou.
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