Koeman Reveals Why Messi Quickly Trusted Pedri at Barcelona

Ronald Koeman said Lionel Messi often judged teammates during training and avoided passing to players he did not trust at FC Barcelona. Koeman explained that Pedri impressed Messi almost instantly in 2020. After only 2 training sessions, Messi repeatedly looked for Pedri with passes, convincing the staff to keep the 17 year old midfielder in the squad permanently.

In the years since Lionel Messi left FC Barcelona, new stories continue to reveal how the dressing room functioned during his final period at the club. Former Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman shared an interesting insight about Messi’s approach toward teammates during the 2020 and 2021 season. According to Koeman, the Argentine star had an informal way of judging the players around him during training sessions.

If a player failed to understand his movements or playing style, Messi would simply avoid passing the ball to them. Koeman explained that Messi’s trust was a clear sign of respect on the pitch. When he believed a teammate understood the game at a similar level, he looked to combine with them more frequently. If that connection was missing, the player would often be ignored during training drills. One player who immediately impressed Messi was Pedri. The young midfielder had just arrived from UD Las Palmas at 17 years old and was originally expected to leave on loan.

However, after only 2 training sessions, Koeman and his staff noticed Messi repeatedly passing to Pedri, which convinced them to keep the youngster in the squad. That connection soon translated into matches, and the duo played a key role in Barcelona’s 2020 and 2021 campaign, helping the team win the Copa del Rey, which became Messi’s final trophy with the club.