Barcelona manager, Ronald Koeman has come out to reveal the reason why he benched Messi vs Real Betis.
He recently revealed that the rumors that there is any controversy between player and coach are false.
According to him, Messi finished the game vs Dynamo Kyiv with a small injury so he simply was not fit enough to start the La Liga game.
He added that he ensured he put the Argentine on the bench in case he was needed, and he is very happy with the well deserved victory.
His words, “We talked to Leo, who came out of the Dynamo [Kyiv] game with a niggle and he was not fit to play from the start,”
“He was on the bench in case we needed him. If he was physically OK, he would have played from the start.”
On the victory, “It is a big win for how much we needed the points and I am happy with our attacking play,”
“We created a lot of danger, with a lot of chances. The draw at the break was not fair.
“We were better, missed a penalty and had more chances. We deserved to score in the second half.
“I hope [Griezmann] keeps working as he has done so far. You have to be there in order to miss.
“I’d like to highlight his character in staying here and continuing to work hard. He knows perfectly well that he has missed chances. Despite his bad luck, he’s always there to score.”
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