Juan Roman Riquelme has said he has no problems with his former coach Louis van Gaal.
Juan Roman Riquelme has said he has no problems with his former coach Louis van Gaal.
The Barcelona playmaker, who is on loan at Villarreal, was told by van Gaal that he was surplus to requirements at Camp Nou shortly after joining from Boca Juniors in the summer of 2001.
The Argentine said of van Gaal: "I will never say anything bad about him because I think that people who are true to what they think deserve to be respected.
"He is convinced his way of making a team play is correct and I am okay with that."
Riquelme came from his home country with a huge reputation, but failed to establish himself under both van Gaal and Raddy Antic.
Current Barca boss Frank Rijkaard has loaned the 25-year-old out to Villarreal in order to pick up more first team experience in La Liga, and Riquelme has begun to show his true capabilities for Manuel Pellegrini's outfit.
However, the playmaker is aware he can still improve further following Villarreal's poor start to the season, saying: "I know that I can play much better.
"The most important thing for me is that the team wins.
"It does not make me happy when Pellegrini is criticised because it is the players who are on the pitch.
"He gives us the solutions and he cannot do more than that."
