‘He starts lying to me’ – Former Barcelona star unhappy with treatment from Ronald Koeman

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It’s safe to say that aside from a surprising run all the way to the Copa del Rey title, Ronald Koeman’s reign at Barcelona was pretty unspectacular.

In fact, it was more notable for the amount of times he fell out with players and president, Joan Laporta, than for great results.

The Dutchman was a law unto himself, and it was only a matter of time during the current season before he was going to be dispensed with.

As soon as Xavi Hernandez was installed as the new man in charge, the mood around Camp Nou lifted, even if positive results are still hard to come by.

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Now former Barca star, Junior Firpo, has lifted the lid on just what it was like to play under Koeman, and perhaps goes some way to explaining why the players didn’t perform for him.

“I asked Koeman for explanations [for lack of minutes] until one day he starts lying to me,” he said on Cadena Ser, cited by Sport Witness.

“At that point, when the coach starts lying to you and you realise he’s cheating on you… why would you keep asking him for explanations if he’s going to cheat on you over and over again.

“He lied to me because he told me things that don’t make sense, that I train poorly, that I contaminate the group… things like that.

“You can ask any of the players who are still in the squad and they will agree with me. I don’t know what it means that I contaminate the group, I suppose he meant my attitude.”

“I don’t know in what sense a young boy who has just arrived is going to contaminate a group that has won everything and have been there all their lives.

“My opinion is not going to change their way of training at all or absolutely nothing.”

Firpo is, at least, able to enjoy his football again at Leeds United, and should flourish in Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking system.

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