The pair appeared in a 3-1 friendly win over Nastik de Tarragona, which brought some joy to the Dutchman. “He is a great talent,” Koeman said when asked about Pedri’s contribution.
Koeman praised Pedri and Trincao
Ronald Koeman was full of praise for Barcelona’s new boys Pedri and Trincao, after they both played their opening minutes for the club on Saturday. The pair appeared in a 3-1 friendly win over Nastik de Tarragona, which brought some joy to the Dutchman. “Pedri is a great talent,” Koeman said when asked about his contribution. “He is 17 and such an important sign for our future. He trained with us and has the quality to play, so we’ll see how much he can get involved. I liked Trinkao positionally, sometimes going in and sometimes going out. He has the quality and has to adapt to speed and rhythm. He’s a great signing.”
As it should be at the beginning of the preseason, the Catalans have prioritized physical work. However, Koeman knows they need to feel their tactics. “We did a lot of physical work in training,” he explained. “We need to do more tactical work now.” Lionel Messi got 45 minutes under the belt for the first time since his transfer saga. “He showed the same spirit as on the first day,” added the boss. “He’s training well and did the same on our day off. He knows that he has to improve physically, like everyone else, but his quality speaks for itself.”