Barcelona manager not worried about getting sacked

Everyone at the FC Barcelona camp can't wait for their La Liga Santander match against Granada on Monday evening. Manager Ronald Koeman knows that the sooner they put the defeat against Bayern Munich behind them, the better it will be for the club.

The tension is palpable at Barcelona, with the 3-0 loss hanging over their heads. However, Koeman only wants to focus at the upcoming matches, knowing that a string of good results can easily turn the tide. On top of that, the Dutchman claims that he is not worried about being sacked.

"I'm not worried about my future. The club and the president will make the decisions," he told members of the media in the pre-match press conference.

"I'm only thinking about the match and the team. The rest is out of my hands. I'm relaxed and confident about winnings matches. We need to get some players back so we have more guys to choose from, but I know that we have to win. The results are what count," he added.

By getting players back, he meant the growing list of injured players that he has had to do without. New arrival Sergio Aguero has yet to make his debut with the club, while teenage sensation Ansu Fati is still on the tail end of a lengthy injury that has seen him sidelined for a year.

Philippe Coutinho is also fresh from a bout with injury, while Gerard Pique also faced calf issues in the past month. Martin Braithwaite has also been sidelined, while a handful of others are also at various stages in their recovery.

Nevertheless, Koeman says he isn't afraid to dig deep in his bench and start young players with less experience.

"We have [Alejandro] Balde, who played well the other day with quality and energy. We also have [Sergino] Dest and [Oscar] Mingueza, but I prefer a natural left-back. Balde is young and has to learn, but I'm not scared to start him," he said, before adding, "I'm not scared at all to start young players, but playing six of them at this moment isn't good."

Koeman also gave a reality check about the loss against Bayern Munich, saying that the club lost heavily against the German champions last season with a much stronger team on paper. "I'm more of a realist than an opportunist. More than a year ago, Barcelona lost 8-2 with Messi, Suarez and Griezmann," he said.