Arturo Vidal has hit out at Barcelona by claiming the club only have ’13 professional players’ and have failed to build a competitive squad.
Barca are looking to sell Vidal this summer, while the club are also battling to keep Lionel Messi as the Argentine pushes for a free transfer to Manchester City.
Barcelona’s season ended in embarrassment earlier this month as they were dumped out of the Champions League following an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.
And Vidal believes Barcelona ‘need to change a lot of things’ in order to catch their rivals.
‘Barcelona have done things that don’t fit with a team at the top level,’ Vidal told Daniel Habif’s YouTube channel.
‘In the end, you realise this when you face an organised team, a team that has a winning mentality, with players that are physically prepared and that has a very strong game plan.
‘That takes its toll when you’re weak in the head and in energy, that happened to us.
‘Barcelona first have to change the way they think because football has evolved a lot. DNA is being left behind and other teams are improving in other aspects.
‘Nowadays, football is more physical, more about strength and speed, and technical ability can sometimes come second.
‘Barcelona have to change lots of things.
‘A club, which I think is the best in the world, can’t have 13 professional players and the rest youngsters.
‘Not because they don’t deserve to be there, but they have to be competing with the best and with who has to play.
‘Every club has 23 players fighting for a place, improving and getting better every day.
‘But when they don’t progress, when you think you can always win with your DNA, that’s when you’re mistaken.
‘There are lots of good players. We have Messi, who is the number one and is an alien, but he needs help.
‘He needs players that improve the team and that get better results.’
‘It’s spectacular that he has become the coach of Juventus,’ said Vidal.
“If he was incredible as a player, imagine him as a coach.
‘He has a real vision of the sport that very few have ever had in football, so I think he can do really well.
‘Pirlo is also a wonderful person too, so I can only imagine he’ll be a great coach.
‘We spent four years together and won Serie A four times, so if he were to call me, I’d be happy.’
