As Ronald Koeman settles in as Barcelona boss, a video is being shared of Oumar Niasse speaking about the humiliating treatment he allegedly received while at Everton.
Koeman's decision to seemingly freeze 21-year-old Riqui Puig out of his first-team plans has upset Barca fans - and Niasse's story is a reminder that the Dutch boss can be harsh with players he does not want.
The striker explains how his locker in the Everton dressing room was taken away as he was forced to train with the under-21s - and even there, he wasn't given a locker and had to leave his bag wherever he could.
"He was difficult. He took away my shirt number to give to another player," said Niasse in an interview during his time on loan at Hull City. "He told me: 'You don't eat with us. You're going to eat with U21.'
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"A lot of things happened, even beyond that... Some stuff to see if I was going to give up, to push me to the edge."
Koeman certainly wouldn't be the first manager to make a player he does not rate feel unwelcome. But, if the reports are true, it does seem a particularly brutal way to embarrass a footballer. Fans have tweeted their support to Niasse.
In a separate interview with the Guardian in 2016, Niasse explained: "The other players have where they put their stuff but I don't. I come with my bag and I just have a place I know. I put my bag down, I train and after, I put everything in my car and go home."
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Niasse's tale is relevant because Koeman has already had a tricky start to his Barcelona career. There were early reports that he'd fallen out with Lionel Messi, after he told the player his "privileges" in the squad were over at the start of his reign.
Now comes Koeman's decision to strongly encourage Puig to make a loan move. "I've told [Riqui Puig] that he has a future here, but it depends on the player," Koeman said on TV3. "I'd recommend that he went out on loan... The young players have to play. They can't get stuck for a period of time."
This despite many Barca fans wanting the promising midfielder to add to his 12 appearances of last season and the player's apparent lack of desire to depart. To some, it paints a picture that Koeman is already at odds with his own dressing room.
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Niasse was clearly a different case to Puig: the Senegalese striker has largely struggled since his £13.5 million transfer to Everton in 2016. Yet he did have a decent spell in 2017/18, when he netted eight goals in 22 Premier League games (most of them coming after Koeman's departure in October).
Perhaps some will feel that the Barcelona dressing room badly needs a shake-up, so Koeman challenging several of the players is no bad thing.
But we hope at least that Riqui Puig manages to keep a locker at the club if he ends up staying for the 2020/21 season.
All imagery: PA Images
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Riqui Puig, Football News, Football, Barcelona, Premier League, Everton, Ronald Koeman
