"Barcelona lives in the past" - Ronald Koeman takes a dig at Xavi's 4-3-3 system and says he has 'serious doubts' about Lewandowski signing

Ronald Koeman was dismissed by Barcelona in October last year following a run of poor results and accusations of not enforcing the club's famous tiki-taka system.

Eight months later, the Dutchman has taken a dig at the club, claiming that the Catalan giants still live in the past with regard to their expectations and approach to the game.

During his time at Barcelona, Ronald Koeman tried multiple formations, including playing with five defenders, which many perceived as being too defensive for the club's reputation.

The tactician doesn't agree with critics on the subject as he insists he's a fan of dominant football, stating that the team played very well with the system for a couple of months.

"I am in favor of dominating the game," he told Esport3 (via Goal). "If you play with three central defenders and five defenders, you cannot say that it is a defensive system.

"With this system for three or four months we played the best games in recent years. The clearest example was the final against Athletic.

"Barca lives in the past, from 4-3-3, from 'tiki-taka'. Football has changed. Now it's faster, more physical. You can't live in the past."

Ronald Koeman also offered his take on Barcelona potentially signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich this summer. The Dutchman acknowledged the striker's quality but doesn't support spending big to acquire him at his present age.

"Lewandowski is a great player, a regular goalscorer, but he is of a certain age," he said. "35 years old? I have my doubts about paying 50 or 60 million for a player, in addition to his salary.

"Maybe he has two years left. I would have many doubts about signing him or not sign him," the tactician added.

Ronald Koeman's record as Barcelona manager

The tactician is on course to replace Louis van Gaal as manager of the Dutch national team

The Dutchman took charge of affairs at Camp Nou in the summer of 2020, coming in as a replacement for Quique Setien.

During his time in the Catalan capital, the tactician oversaw 67 matches across all competitions, recording 40 victories, 11 draws and 16 defeats to his name.

Despite his difficult spell, Koeman managed to lead the Catalan giants to claim the Copa del Rey trophy during the 2020-21 campaign. He was relieved of his duties midway through last season and replaced by former Barcelona midfielder Xavi.