Memphis Depay can make his official debut for Barcelona against Real Sociedad on Sunday. Thanks to a significant wage sacrifice from Gerard Pique, the attacker was able to be registered for LaLiga at the last minute on Saturday. Due to the financial problems, it was unclear for a long time whether the the Dutch international could be registered. Ronald Koeman praises the financial sacrifice of the 34-year-old defender at a press conference on Saturday.
“Everyone knows how Barcelona is financially and that the club needs help in every way. That’s really important. The attitude of Pique but also Sergi Roberto, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets is commendable. They have been with the club for years and are eager to help. They show that they are real club people.” Barcelona said in a statement on Saturday that talks with Alba and Busquets are also taking place. “It must be said that both players are understanding and fully cooperating,” the club said in a statement.
The match against Real Sociedad will be Barcelona’s first official game without Messi. “There has been a lot of talk about Messi,” Koeman continued. “That makes sense, he is the best player in the world and he has shown his qualities for years. But on the other hand, he is gone, there are other players, we have a strong squad and we are capable of great things. From tomorrow there will be no more excuses. And the team is generally ready. We have had a good preparation and now we have to play and show that we want to move forward.”
“I am convinced that this selection is capable of making people enjoy.” The Champions League is a different story, Koeman emphasized. “We need to be more involved with LaLiga. We are a strong team in that regard. The Champions League is a different story, a different competition. But there are also clubs that have won the Champions League without having the best team. It’s about gaining confidence. The start of the competition is important. And yes, it is painful for all of us to see Messi at Paris Saint-Germain. We’re going to miss him, but we shouldn’t look to the past. These are things that happen. We have players who have the future and I look forward to that. We have to work hard to achieve our goals.”
Koeman cannot have Marc-André ter Stegen, Oscar Mingueza, Ousmane Dembélé, Ansu Fati and Sergio Aguero on Sunday due to injuries. “In attacking terms, we are short of people. I’d love to have another attacker, but it depends if we can get someone. It all depends on Financial Fair Play.” The Dutchman is happy that he can have Depay at his disposal. “Memphis is fast, strong . . . Without Messi we lose decisiveness and we now ask that of everyone. We also want to become tactically stronger. Depay is of great importance in this.” Frenkie de Jong will probably be there on Sunday. “If nothing happens, he will be available on Sunday. He has been training for the past few days.”