‘There were things with Koeman that I did not understand, and at certain times there was disrespect for me and my teammates.’
Leeds United defender Junior Firpo has accused his former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman of lying to him and attempting to ‘destroy’ his enthusiasm for football.
The Spaniard moved to Elland Road this summer after two years with the Catalan giants, the second season of which was spent under the Dutchman.
Koeman was sacked by Barca in October, eventually being replaced by former club captain Xavi Hernandez after successive La Liga losses against Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.
Barcelona finished third in the league and exited the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage last season, with Firpo making just 18 first-team appearances throughout the campaign.
Now, the 25-year-old has now hit out at Koeman for the part he played in the full-back losing his enthusiasm for the game.
The former Real Betis player accused the Dutchman of lying to him regarding his lack of involvement, revealing that Koeman told him he was “contaminating” the squad due to his effort in training.
Junior Firpo on Ronald Koeman:
“I asked him [why I wasn’t playing] and he lied to me. At this point I kept asking him, but he told me things that didn’t make sense, like that I trained poorly.
I came to lose my enthusiasm for football and I realized the importance of family.” pic.twitter.com/lODrIsFBEX
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) December 9, 2021
Speaking with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, he said: “I came to lose my enthusiasm for football and I realised the importance of family.
“There were things with Koeman that I did not understand, and at certain times there was disrespect for me and my teammates.
“I ask him why I am not playing, and he starts to lie to me.
“At that point, why would I keep asking him for reasons; he tells me things that don’t make sense, like that I am training badly, that I contaminate the group!
“Ask who you want – let’s see if any of the staff tells you the same about me.
“I do not know what it means that I contaminate the group, I suppose it would refer to my attitude.
“I do not know in what way a young boy who has just arrived is going to contaminate a group that has won everything and has been there all their careers.
“My opinion is not going to change their way of training at all or anything else.”
The four-time Champions League winners currently find themselves seventh in La Liga and are out of the Champions League group stages for the first time since the 2000/01 campaign.
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