Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman thanked club president Joan Laporta for publicly giving him a vote of confidence but it was another difficult day for the Catalan club as they lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid.
Laporta said on Saturday, before their defeat to Atletico, that he had spoken to Koeman and the Dutchman deserved time to change the club’s fortunes around after a stuttering start to the season.
“It’s important and well done for his part because if everything isn’t clear in this sense then it’s difficult to work and have the kind of calm you need to try and make the changes we are trying to implement,” Koeman said.
“We know how it is from today moving forwards ... We spoke last night on the phone and then again this morning.”
Despite Laporta’s backing, Koeman acknowledged things needed to change with Barca having won just one of their last six games in all competitions.
They sit bottom of their Champions League group with two defeats from two games and are ninth in LaLiga, five points behind table-toppers Real Madrid.
“There’s a solution (to what is happening), but it can’t be done overnight. We have to work hard, give time to the youngsters and get back our injured forwards.
“At the end of the day it’s a results game, and after the international break we have three must-win home games.”
The Catalans host Valencia and Real Madrid in LaLiga after the upcoming break, with Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League sandwiched in between those two fixtures.
In France, Paris St Germain suffered their first defeat of the season when they were beaten 2-0 at Stade Rennais on Sunday to drop their first Ligue 1 points of the season.
Rennes won thanks to goals by Gaetan Laborde and Flavian Tait each side of the interval to end PSG’s eight-game winning run in the league.
PSG, beaten in the pre-season Trophy of champions by Lille, stayed top of the standings with 24 points, six ahead of second-placed RC Lens who beat Stade de Reims 2-0 on Friday.
Rennes moved up to seventh on 12 points.
Five days after an impressive win over Manchester City in the Champions League, PSG got off to a lively start but lacked sharpness as Neymar skied a close-range attempt over the bar in the 22nd minute.
Lionel Messi’s 25-metre free kick crashed against the crossbar and although he combined well with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the visitors struggled to break the deadlock.
Rennes, who had less than 72 hours to recuperate after beating Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa League on Thursday, went ahead on the stroke of halftime in clinical fashion.
Laborde netted his sixth goal of the season by volleying home from Kamaldeen Sulemana’s cross.
Having failed to manage a single shot on target in the first half, PSG were caught cold straight after the interval as Tait fired home from Laborde’s cross.
The hugely disappointing Neymar was substituted by Mauro Icardi in the 76th minute but the Argentine failed to inspire PSG who also failed to muster a shot on target in the second half.
Rennes kept their composure in the closing stages as they handed PSG their first away league defeat for eight months.
