Ronald Koeman says he’s full of pride being named new coach of Barcelona.
The Catalans are in a crisis which has been amplified since the shocking 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Nevertheless, Koeman announced that he was delighted to return to the club he represented as a player.
“Today is a day to be happy and proud,” he said in front of the media.
“I have the chance to coach a big team.
“Barcelona always demand the maximum, and I like it that way.
“The image from the other day is not what we want. No one. We have to work hard to regain prestige.
“Barcelona are still the biggest club in the world. It is a dream, and the dream has come true.
“From now on [we must] work to put Barcelona on top. It’s our job together with players who still have a lot of quality.”
The severity of the defeat to Bayern has even put into question the future of Leo Messi, and the Dutchman admitted that he couldn’t be sure as to whether he had to convince his star player to stay at the club.
“I don’t know if I have to convince Messi [to stay],” he said.
“He is the best player in the world, and you always want to have him in your team.
“On my part, as a coach, I love working with Messi because he wins games. If he performs, I’ll be happy if he wants to stay.
“Starting today, I’ll talk to him. We are going to work and talk with several players. In the case of Messi, hopefully he will continue here for more years.
“If I say here what I am going to say, it would not be necessary for me to meet with him. I am the coach in order to make decisions.
“Once again, he has a year left on his contract. He is the important player you want in your team as a coach.”
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