Pjanic admits frustration at lack of opportunities at Barca

Madrid, Spain | THE INDEPENDENT |    FC Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic has added to coach Ronald Koeman’s problems with an interview in Italian newspaper ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’ in which he questions why he has not played much this season despite Barca’s on-field problems.

In an interview published the day before Barca face Pjanic’s former club, Juventus, in their last Champions League group game, the midfielder from Bosnia-Herzegovina questioned why he has spent most of his time on the bench since arriving from Italy this summer.

Although Pjanic has featured in all five of Barca’s Champions League wins, chalking up a total of 381 minutes football, in La Liga, where Barca have lost four times this season, he has made just one start and five substitute appearances in less than 200 minutes football.

“Honestly, I don’t understand why I am in this situation. It’s obvious I want to play a lot more and I know I can contribute a lot,” commented Pjanic.

“When the coach (Koeman) has played me, I have always done well and played good games and I don’t know what more I can do. I am training and I am ready,” he added, making clear his unhappiness.

“I am not satisfied and I can’t be happy, I have never accepted the idea of not playing and I am not going to do so now. I’m ready, I’m training well and I am waiting for my chance, because there is nothing else I can do,” he assured.

“This is a delicate situation and it is not helping me,” complained Pjanic.

The 30-year-old admitted that in his current situation he was missing life in Italy. “My nine years in Italy (with Roma and Juventus) were very good and honestly I miss them. I was very happy there and enjoyed big seasons,” admitted the midfielder.

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