With Brazilian superstar Philippe Coutinho joining Bayern Munich on loan recently, an FC Barcelona legend believes Lionel Messi might have been the cause of his departure.
Click through the gallery above to see some images from Coutinho's Bayern unveiling!
Just a year and a half after completing what he described as his dream move to Barcelona, Coutinho departed the club for Bayern after failing to leave his mark at the Camp Nou.
Club legend Rivaldo believes the 27-year-old should have started more regularly at Barca, but was possibly hindered by Messi's presence in the team.
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"I'm a little disappointed about his failure in gaining a regular place in the first team, but perhaps he was no longer confident about it and unhappy, so he opted for a move to another big club trying to finally recover his best football from his time at Liverpool," Rivaldo told Betfair.
"It's never easy to find your space in a team where Lionel Messi constantly takes all the credit and responsibility. There are few players in the world capable of reaching such situation and imposing themselves, and maybe Coutinho didn't have enough patience to find his spot in the team.
"The Argentinian star is the team leader and will keep playing at his best level for about three or four more years, so it is difficult to see other players shining at their best at Barcelona."
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Coutinho scored 11 goals in 54 appearances for the Blaugrana last season, including five in the club's triumphant LaLiga campaign.
Is it fair to blame Messi for Coutinho's shortcomings at Barca? Let us have your thoughts by commenting below.
