Ronald Koeman opted to be present and take questions during Saturday’s pre-match press conference after opting to simply read out a statement before walking out of the room prior to Barcelona‘s game against Cadiz in midweek.
The Dutchman has come under increasing pressure and another disappointing result against Levante on Sunday could spell the end of his time at the Camp Nou, but he revealed that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said nothing to him about his statement.
“Nothing has happened since that day. We spoke on the plane about the Cadiz match and that’s all there is to it,” Koeman said during Saturday’s pre-match press conference.
In terms of his future, Koeman admitted that speculation about his future is part of the job.
“I can’t say much about this subject because I haven’t read the papers for a long time,” he commented.
“I know about the rumours, but the only thing we have to do is win games. There are rumours, names… That’s your job.
“I’m not going to waste energy on things I can’t control.”
Ansu Fati has been included in Barcelona‘s squad list to face Levante, but Koeman stressed that he will only play for a maximum of 15 minutes.
“It is very important [to have him available again], first of all for the player,” Koeman noted.
“We have a plan and we will follow a plan to get Ansu back to his best. He will go through a process to get minutes.
“He has been called up and will play a maximum of 15 minutes. The most important thing is to get the player back properly, not to rush things.”
There is a lot of hope that Ansu Fati will be able to replicate the form he showed prior to his serious knee injury in November 2020, but the Barcelona coach wants to go step by step with the 18-year-old.
“There is a long way to go before he is like he was before. You don’t get that back in two games or two weeks. We have to be careful,” Koeman warned.
“The most important thing is that he gets back on his feet. It depends on his condition.
“We have to be very focused on this with the medical team. We are talking about a young player who will give us a lot of quality, but little by little.”
