Barcelona players support Koeman despite Champions League disaster

It was an absolute disaster at Lisbon for visitors FC Barcelona. They needed the victory badly after losing their opening match against Bayern Munich. However, instead of redeeming themselves, they only replayed the nightmare with another 3-0 defeat this time at the hands of the Portuguese giants.

As expected, Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman found himself directly facing the firing squad. He had already been in a precarious position before, but a great result against Levante on Sunday gave him a little reprieve. Now, the pressure is back on, but he feels that despite speculations about his possible sacking, the players are still behind him.

"I feel supported by my players and their attitude. I can only comment on my work with the team. I don't know about the rest, I don't know about the club," he said in the post-match press conference in Lisbon.

He will now be heading back to Barcelona, and it remains to be seen what Joan Laporta has to say about the result. Meanwhile, Koeman wants to look at the positive points from last night's match. "I think the team played well until 2-0, we had very clear opportunities to score," he said, before saying that the final scoreline was hard to accept.

Koeman recognises that he is in a difficult position at the moment, but remains philosophical about the situation. "For any coach it is always difficult. Being at Barcelona, if you don't win two Champions League games, it's a delicate situation. I completely understand," he shared.

He asked for more time, calling for patience as he continues to search for the winning formula with the current squad that they have. "Winning gives you peace of mind, but I accept that when you lose the future of the coach is in question. That's the world we live in," he added.

Unfortunately for Koeman, Barcelona will be facing defending La Liga champions Atletico Madrid this weekend, and he will be watching from the sidelines.