Former Barcelona B winger: “My desire to train with Koeman faded away a bit” | OneFootball

Speaking in an interview with Marca (h/t Onze Mondial), Alex Collado has opened up on his time and struggles with the Barcelona first team under Ronald Koeman.

The 22-year-old had enjoyed a fine 2020/21 campaign with the Barça B team. The versatile winger had scored eight goals and set up three more in 22 games while captaining the side. So, a promotion to the senior squad heading into the ongoing season felt warranted.

Collado was called up to the pre-season camp by Koeman, but the Spaniard soon found himself forced out of the picture as the manager decided to back new arrival Yusuf Demir instead.

This left the 22-year-old frozen out of the first-team roster, while he was not registered with the B team. With loan moves to Club Brugge and Sheffield United collapsing, Collado spent the entire first half of the campaign without any form of professional football.

The winger sealed a temporary move to Granada this transfer window and made his first appearance of the season earlier this month, interestingly against Barcelona.

Now, opening up on his hellish situation under Koeman, Collado said: “I showed the level in the reserve. The decision was his. I don’t know if he didn’t like it or what was wrong with me. But, in the end, with Koeman my desire to train faded away a bit.”

The 22-year-old La Masia product further added that the Dutch tactician hardly communicated with him either. “I was going through a situation like that and he wouldn’t talk to me or speak or anything,” Collado added.

Widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects to have emerged through the La Masia ranks, it is now up to Collado to prove his worth with Granada and return to Camp Nou in the summer to stake a claim for regular playing time.