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What's the story?
Barcelona legend Rivaldo believes that Lionel Messi's influence played a key role in Philippe Coutinho's transfer to Bayern Munich. According to the Brazillian, it is difficult for other players to shine at the Blaugrana under the shadow of the Argentine superstar.
In case you didn't know...
Signed from Liverpool for £142 million as a potential successor to Andreas Iniesta in January 2018, Coutinho failed to live up to expectations at the Camp Nou and has been largely seen as an expensive flop.
The Brazillian recently joined Bayern Munich on loan to bring his career back on track, with an option to make his move permanent for €120 million next summer.
The 27-year-old played 75 games during his time with the Blaugrana, scoring 21 goals and providing 11 assists. He also lifted two LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey and one Supercopa de Espana with the Spanish giants.
The heart of the matter...
Former Barcelona star Rivaldo blamed Lionel Messi's influence for Philippe Coutinho's failed Blaugrana stint. Speaking at the Betfair's event(via Mirror), he said:
"I always believed that Philippe Coutinho had the ability to success at Barcelona, but things were taking too much time and both parties agreed on a transfer to Bayern Munich.
"I'm a little disappointed about his failure in gaining a regular place in the first team, but perhaps he was no longer confident about it and unhappy, so he opted for a move to another big club trying to finally recover his best football from his time at Liverpool"
He further elaborated:
"It's never easy to find your space in a team where Lionel Messi constantly takes all the credit and responsibility.
"There are few players in the world capable of reaching such situation and imposing themselves, and maybe Coutinho didn't have enough patience to find his spot in the team.
"The Argentinian star is the team leader and will keep playing at his best level for about three or four more years, so it is difficult to see other players shining at their best at Barcelona."
What's next?
Bayern Munich play FC Schalke 04 in the league next, a game that could see Coutinho making his debut for the Bavarians. Meanwhile, Barcelona will host Real Betis at the Camp Nou in their next LaLiga fixture on August 26.
