Ronald Koeman on the call he made to Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez leaving Barcelona raised eyebrows this summer, but Ronald Koeman has always said it was a club call.

Koeman explained to AD that "he was on holiday, which made things complicated. That's why I called him, there was no other way. It's better to transmit a message in an honest and clear way. Suarez still had a contract and he could decide what his future was. But I was clear, that is the only option in these type of cases."

Koeman added "it was clear that things had to change. The club thought so but I thought it too. In terms of playing style but also in the squad. Young talents like Ansu Fati and Pedri are developing well and Luis Suarez was one of the players who, in my opinion, would play less this season."

Leo Messi did not like that decision, as his best friend. "I understand the disappointment," said Koeman. "But when Luis left us, he came to our training room to say goodbye to the technical staff. I don't think he would do that if he blamed us. We have acted in an open and fair way, I think."

Koeman also spoke of Frenkie de Jong's new position in the double pivot.

"I think that you should always use players as much as you can in the role that suits them best. Frenkie played too high last year in my opinion, too attack minded, while his strength is in the first phase of preparation, he can find solutions from there. I thought that it was a pity, if you pay that much for a player, you should make sure he plays optimally. I think we have much more control now. This is good for Busquets too."