Barcelona manager, exiled player continue war of words

FC Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman and midfielder Miralem Pjanic have been embroiled in a war of words as of late, and it appears as though the exiled player still has a lot to say against his former manager.

After having been shipped off to Turkish side Besiktas at the last minute this summer, the Bosnian claims that the loan deal to a less prestigious club is better than staying at the Camp Nou. According to him, staying another year under Koeman will mean losing a productive year in his career.

Pjanic also revealed that former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi was equally baffled by the "strange" way the manager treated him. "[Koeman] had an attitude towards me that nobody understood," Pjanic said, as quoted by Marca from an interview on Tuttosport.

He said that the former Barca captain tried to understand the situation between himself and Koeman, but was also left in the dark. "Not even Messi, who often asked me if something had happened with him. I couldn't stay at Barcelona with Koeman. I would have lost a year and I wanted to play," said Pjanic.

Earlier this month, the Bosnia international said that Koeman refused to communicate with him openly during the 2020/21 season. He was kept on the bench without being told what he was doing wrong or what he needed to do in order to contribute to the team.

In the end, Pjanic was sent off on loan to Besiktas a few days after the Spanish transfer window closed. Luckily, the Turkish window remained open, and a deal was reached.

It was widely reported that Barcelona had been in talks with Juventus for a comeback, but the Italian side were not able to match Barcelona's demands. Pjanic will now be on a season-long loan to Besiktas, and it remains to be seen what will happen when he is due to return next summer. If Koeman stays, the club will likely look for a way to make his load deal permanent or find another buyer.

"I would have liked to go back [to Juventus] and I would have done everything to get back together with [Massimiliano] Allegri. I love Juventus and I have a perfect connection with [Juventus president Andrea] Agnelli," admitted Pjanic.

It appears impossible for Koeman and Pjanic to work together again now, especially after the manager said last week that there were simply better players than him on the roster.