The two Barcelona players harmed by Koeman's stay of execution

Joan Laporta's decision to stick with Ronald Koeman as Barcelona coach for now was good news for the Dutchman but bad news for others.

For two players, it means their playing situation at Camp Nou is not going to change, at least not in the short term.

Riqui Puig

Koeman has never been convinced by Riqui Puig. The numbers speak for themselves. Since he took over at Barça, the midfielder has started just four times: twice in the league and twice in the cup, all last season. This season, he's played 72 minutes across four appearances.

Puig has seen other young midfielders move ahead of him, such as Gavi and Nico. His dream is to stay at the club and make his mark on the first team, but that will not happen with Koeman as coach.

Samuel Umtiti

French defender Samuel Umtiti convinced Laporta he deserves a chance but not coach Koeman. Umtiti feels he's back in form, a knee injury confined to the past, but the Dutchman prefers other options. Piqué, Araujo, Eric Garcia, Mingueza and Lenglet are all preferred to Umtiti in the middle of defence.

Umtiti has not played a single minute this season. He wants a chance to show he can perform, but he's not been given a game since preseason.

January

Puig and Umtiti have something in common beyond just being on the bench every week. They are both convinced they have a place in the team, even if Koeman's not on the same page. January is getting closer and, if Koeman is still in charge, and knowing they won't play, they may still reject offers to leave, knowing a new coach could be on the horizon.

Barça want to make room on their wage bill by freeing up Umtiti's salary but Riqui's situation is different. A lot of people at the club want him to get a chance and there's a belief a new coach, such as Xavi, would give him that. In any case, it's evident that Koeman's future is linked to theirs now.