Leeds Defender Slams Koeman For Disrespectful Treatment At Barcelona

Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo has accused Ronald Koeman of disrespecting him during his time at Barcelona.

Firpo left the Catalan club in the summer when the Whites brought him to the Premier League for a fee in the region of £14m.

The Spaniard has struggled to adapt to life in England as Marcelo Bielsa’s side have endured a tough start to the season.

Firpo has opened up on his time at Barcelona, however, explaining how Koeman accused him of ‘contaminating’ the squad.

“I came to lose my enthusiasm for football and I realised the importance of family,” Firpo said in an interview with Spanish outlet, Cadena SER.

“There were things with Koeman that I didn’t understand, and at certain times he disrespected me and my teammates.

“I asked him [why he 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 badly and contaminated the group.

“Ask whoever you want and see what the other staff members say about me. I don’t know why he thought I contaminated the group, I suppose he was referring to my attitude.

“I don’t know how a young boy who has just arrived is going to contaminate a group that has won everything and been there all their lives.”

Firpo made seven appearances in La Liga under Koeman in 2020/21, playing the full 90 minutes on only two occasions.

Koeman lost his job this term and was replaced by club legend Xavi. Unfortunately for the Blaugrana, Xavi could not save them from falling into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group.

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