Depay unhappy by Messi’s departure but impressed by Dest
In Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Real Sociedad, the Dutchman made his debut in good order as he provided an assist in the Blaugrana’s 4-2 victory.
Having reached the end of his contract at Lyon,
the Netherlands international joined Barcelona on a free transfer this summerwhile he was competing in Euro 2020. Meanwhile, Messi triumphed Copa America with Argentina.
Hence, the pair never crossed paths before taking on new challenges with Barca and Paris Saint-Germain. Despite missing a union with Messi, Memphis Depay is happy to reunite with former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman at the club.
Depay told
El Periodico: "I didn’t even get to know [Messi]. He came late to pre-season because of the break after the Copa America and I couldn’t even say hello to him.
"I know what [Koeman] wants from me. I know what I have to do, there’s a chemistry between us. That’s very important."
On Barca’s dressing room atmosphere, Depay added: "Everyone has been very nice and they have made it easy for me. Pique has helped me a lot because his English is good. With [Jordi] Alba I also have a lot of fun. Of course, Frenkie and Dest also, because I already knew them. It’s a nice dressing room."
On what he can offer to Barca after starting in style with his performance against Sociedad, Depay said: "I try to give something extra on the pitch, something important for the team, to bring joy to the game. That’s why the connection with the fans is incredible. It makes me feel fantastic and I hope it continues. I’ll give everything on the pitch for them to enjoy."
DISCLAIMER! Sportmob does not claim ownership of any of the pictures posted on this website. Again, we do not host pictures or videos ourselves. Our authors merely link to the rightful owner. Lastly, Sportmob have carefully considered and reviewed all of its content. Despite that, it is possible that some information might be out-dated or incomplete.