A great moment after the league match between Seville and Barcelona (0-2) is massively shared and discussed on social media. Ronald Koeman waited for his players on the sidelines after the final whistle and thanked them one by one. The most discussed moment was the meeting between the Dutchman and Ilaix Moriba, who seemed to thank the trainer for his playing minutes with a bow with his head and folded hands.
A handshake between Koeman and Moriba followed and the midfielder then also received a pat on the back for his efforts. The talent made his debut in the cup match against Cornellà (0-2) on January 21, two days after his eighteenth birthday, and also did so as a base force. On February 13, Moriba appeared as a base force in his first LaLiga game: the home game with Deportivo Alavés (5-1). In it, the teenager gave an assist, but also led in the only goal against with a wrong pass.
And @MontonJordi ha seguit Ilaix Moriba al final del partit, amb la càmera de TV3. La reverència a Koeman il.lustra l’alegria del moment, l’agraïment per la confiança and els joves i les ganes de triomfar al Barça. #fcbarcelona pic.twitter.com/QW3Bm7uOyn
– Francesc Latorre (@FrancescLatorre) February 27, 2021
Koeman brought Moriba in on Saturday in the 71st minute as a replacement for the injured Pedri. The Dutchman received questions about his game. “He was important in the last phase of the game, just like everyone else who came into the field. He was on the ball well and made an important contribution. He is still a very young football player ”, replied the coach of the current number two of LaLiga. Pedri will most likely be sidelined for two to three weeks with a muscle injury, which increases Moriba’s chances of more playing time, also because Miralem Pjanic is struggling with ankle complaints.
“It is great news that a youth player with such an attitude enters the field,” according to the assessments of ASH to read. “In his first action, he almost takes the ball from goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and then he hands Lionel Messi a heel ball on his way to 0-2.” Sport the teenager handed out an eight. “Due to Pedri’s injury, he hardly had the time to prepare. Courage and contribute to Messi’s 0-2. ”
Guinea-born Moriba exchanged Espanyol’s youth academy for that of Barcelona in 2010. From the age of fifteen, the midfielder actually started to stand out and foreign clubs also showed interest. After his sixteenth birthday, Moriba signed his first professional contract, including an annual salary of more than half a million euros and a transfer clause of one hundred million euros.