Insider: Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has won over key players in his first weeks at the club

Koeman might be the reason why we'll have Messi for at least the 2020/21 season.

Ronald Koeman's first decision as Barcelona's coach was to have a personal talk with Leo Messi, so he visited the Argentine at his house, Diario Sport say.

During the meeting, the Dutchman told Messi that his arrival meant intense work, better physical preparation and a new tactical idea (the 4-2-3-1), all this in order to compete with the best teams in Europe.

Although Messi still wanted to leave Barca at that time, he was left with a good impression; he reportedly told his teammates that with Koeman in charge, they would be left in good hands.

Besides the captain, the new head coach talked with Sergio Busquets, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann, and communicated them the same ideas.

One of the reasons Messi ended up staying is Koeman; if it still were Quique Setien in charge, Diario Sport say that the 33-year-old could have pushed harder for an exit.

Unlike his predecessor, Koeman speaks to the players directly, something that has been also noticed in his press conferences.