Difficult for Barca to win league, admits Koeman after Eibar draw
RESENDING WITH UPDATED VIDEO AND ADDITIONAL SOUNDBITE FROM RONALD KOEMAN
VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCES WITH BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN AND EIBAR COACH, JOSE LUIS MENDILIBAR, STILL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM BARCELONA'S 1-1 DRAW WITH EIBAR
SHOWS:
BARCELONA, SPAIN (DECEMBER 29, 2020) (LA LIGA/MEDIAPRO - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES)
1. BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE
2. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)
REPORTER, ASKING: "Do you still think that this team can still win La Liga?"
"Well being realistic it's a very complicated season. Nothing is impossible but we do have to admit that the points gap is very big against a side like Atletico Madrid who are the league leaders, who look like they're in a very good run of form and they're winning games. It's going to be very difficult for us."
BARCELONA, SPAIN (DECEMBER 29, 2020) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)
3. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF LIONEL MESSI WATCHING THE MATCH FROM THE STANDS
4. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MESSI (TOP RIGHT) WATCHING FROM THE STANDS
5. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MESSI (LEFT) IN THE STANDS
BARCELONA, SPAIN (DECEMBER 29, 2020) (LA LIGA/MEDIAPRO - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES)
6. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)
REPORTER, ASKING: "Having seen today's game, what do you think the team was lacking today? Do you think it was a lack of leadership in the line-up considering as well that Lionel Messi wasn't in the team?"
"Well I don't want to say that we were missing experienced people, I don't want to say that. We obviously know that there is a transition period at the moment in the team especially with the injuries that we have. We have a lot of younger players in our team. But with that in mind as well I think we had five or six youngsters but we still had some experienced players and I don't think we were missing anyone specificlly but of course (Lionel) Messi does make the difference for our team. But the feeling is that once again, and I'm tired of saying it, the feeling that how is it possible that we didn't win? I have that feeling once again. It's not very complicated. We created a lot of chances and we missed a penalty and we gave away a goal (from) their only shot on target that they had. So there were quite a few things against us today."
7. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
8. KOEMAN LEAVING AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
9. EIBAR COACH, JOSE LUIS MENDILIBAR ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE
10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EIBAR COACH, JOSE LUIS MENDILIBAR, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)
REPORTER, ASKING: "After quite a few negative results for your side here against Barcelona you must be very happy that you've picked up your first point at the Camp Nou? What's your feeling of the game overall?"
"Yes as you've said we've come here on more than one occasion and we've suffered. Today we're very happy that we managed to get a point, which for us this is almost as much as a victory. Of course, today I think the game went by a bit quicker for us than normal when we come here. We're very happy that we were able to hold on to our point. We worked very hard and you also have to be lucky and you have to be accurate when you only have one or two chances and today that's really what happened to us although my players did run a lot today."
11. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EIBAR COACH, JOSE LUIS MENDILIBAR, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION)
"Well, I think what they were lacking was the best player in the world. That's a very big handicap for them. I think everytime we've come here Messi has really hardly ever scored less than two against us. So, we normally left here really happy with a 1-0 or 2-0 defeat. So we knew that the players who were going to play today were still going to be of course very good but the difference some times is made by one player and they didn't have that player today. And today we knew how to work hard and try and get the point and then we had a few chances after they equalised but still they also could have scored another goal. So, we had to try and sit deep and hold onto our result. But I think we were lucky that we didn't have that slump as in previous games. And I think Barcelona can win everything. They have the players to do that but I also do think that they have to improve."
BARCELONA, SPAIN (DECEMBER 29, 2020) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)
13. TWO STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF EIBAR'S KIKE STRIKING THE BALL TO SCORE THEIR FIRST GOAL AGAINST BARCELONA
14. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF KIKE CELEBRATING
15. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BARCELONA'S OUSMANE DEMBELE CELEBRATING WITH TEAM MATES AFTER SCORING THE EQUALISER
16. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF DEMBELE CELEBRATING
STORY: Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said his side would find it difficult to win the La Liga title after they ended a traumatic 2020 with a 1-1 draw at home to minnows Eibar on Tuesday (December 29).
The result left Barca sixth in the standings and seven points behind Atletico Madrid, who have played two games fewer than the Catalans.
"If we are realistic, winning the championship is very difficult for us," Koeman told reporters.
"Nothing is impossible but we have to acknowledge the big points distance with Atletico, who are in very good form, looking strong, winning a lot games and not conceding many goals."
Barca have won eight of the last 12 La Liga titles and if Koeman's pessimistic prediction is proved right, they will fail to win the title for two years in a row for the first time since the 2007/08 season.
The Catalans were missing the injured Lionel Messi but still had plenty of opportunities, including Martin Braithwaite missing a penalty and Ousmane Dembele coming close on several occasions.
But yet again, they paid dearly for failing to take their chances and for a defensive howler.
Defender Ronald Araujo was the culprit on Tuesday after he lost possession high up the pitch to Kike Garcia, who gave Eibar the lead in the second half. Dembele equalised 10 minutes later.
(Production: Peter Bullock, Tim Hart)
