Ronald Koeman takes subtle dig at Luis de la Fuente’s selection while praising Barcelona ace | OneFootball

Several FC Barcelona players were in action as Spain and The Netherlands fought out the UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie in the March international break.

Frenkie de Jong was playing for the Orange team, to which he returned after a significant break. On the other hand, Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Dani Olmo all participated in this tie from the Spanish side.

There was a surprise in the starting lineup for Spain for the second leg as Luis de la Fuente kept Pedri on the bench, even though the aggregate score was tied at 2-2.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Dutch national team coach, Ronald Koeman, also highlighted this aspect as he talked to the media after the game:

“Leaving a player like Pedri on the bench and still winning is very lucky… Just look at what Spain has—that they can have a player like Pedri on the bench and bring him on to decide the game. He’s a great player. We have very good players, but having Pedri on the bench says it all.”

Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images

The former Barcelona coach’s comments appeared as a dig at his Spanish counterpart, but his comments still highlight Pedri’s importance.

Koeman was the manager who brought Pedri to the Barcelona first team during his time in the Blaugrana dugout, as he looked to revamp the team.

His role in keeping the Canarian midfielder in the Catalan team and giving him opportunities to showcase his talent is still yielding good returns, as he is having his best season in the blue and garnet jersey so far under Hansi Flick.

Pedri has already gotten over his physical problems and has emerged as one of the most important players in this Barcelona team. Meanwhile, his importance for Spain is also without any doubt, and he was once again key in the tie against the Netherlands as he slotted home the winning penalty in the shoot-out to ensure his team’s presence in the semi-finals.