"Maybe a good leader is needed" - Loaned out Barcelona star aims dig at Ronald Koeman

Barcelona loanee Miralem Pjanic has taken a swipe at his permanent employers by questioning Ronald Koeman's leadership at the club.

Barcelona loaned out Pjanic to Besiktas this summer. The Bosnian midfielder joined Barcelona from Juventus in 2020 and was part of a swap deal that saw Arthur heading towards Turin.

Pjanic had to endure a torrid time at the Nou Camp in the 2020-21 campaign. He went on to make 30 appearances for the club, but most of them came from the bench. A creative, box-to-box midfielder by role, Pjanic failed to score a single goal or provide an assist for Barcelona.

Reports started to circulate about bad blood between the player and his manager, Ronald Koeman. It ended with the player being loaned out to Besiktas this summer.

The Bosnian international has now aimed a dig at Koeman. He told beIN SPORTS:

“[Barcelona] are going through difficult times. The results are not going as the fans want, which puts pressure on the players. Maybe a good leader is needed to get the team back on its feet. Barcelona will return to the past, but it will take some time. Barca are always one of the four or five biggest clubs in the world and they will go back to the old days."

Koeman and Pjanic has bad blood from their time together at Barcelona

Pjanic had previously accused Koeman of biased and disrespectful behavior immediately after his move to Besiktas. He had told Marca:

"The coach [disrespected me], yes. I couldn't get used to the situation I faced last year. I knew I didn't want it. I'm a player. I love playing football, this is what makes me happy. I always wanted to play for Barca but I didn't expect the situation to get so complicated."

Pjanic continued:

"There was a point that I was playing less, things were getting complicated. And when I played it was difficult physically and mentally to be well, because it was killing my confidence, because I had no communication with [Koeman]."

The Bosnian was unhappy with the way Koeman treated him at Barcelona and added:

"It was very strange, because a coach is the one who says who plays and who doesn't, but there are different ways to do things. I am a player who can accept everything but I would always like to be told things face to face. Not as if nothing happened and I was 15 years old."

Koeman's job at Barcelona is under immense scrutiny at the moment. The Catalan giants are struggling to score goals and win matches in both La Liga and the Champions League.