Rivaldo has acknowledged that managing Lionel Messi is one of the toughest challenges as a coach yet the confidence behind having such a superstar in a team enriches the group.

Ronald Koeman last weekend had to start Messi from the bench against Real Betis although he insisted that there was no injury concern and that the 33-year-old simply wasn’t at peak fitness.

Messi last started on the bench for two matches in September 2019 and has started every game in La Liga and the Champions League under the new manager, Koeman

According to the retired forward who played for the club 235 times, the decision will benefit the forward who is gradually advancing in age.

“It's not easy to convince someone of Messi's pedigree that staying on the bench is a good option because Leo will always want more," Rivaldo admitted.

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"It come out perfectly [against Betis]: Messi played marvelously and, what's more, he saved energy for the future.

The Argentine was introduced in the 46-minute when the result was 1-1. He quickly made a quick impact for Griezmann to grab the second. He scored a brace before Pedri added Barca’s fifth on the day.

“It caught my eye that I didn't see Messi angry and even that he pushed hard in the second half to make the difference. "Of course, it's crucial for a coach at a big club to manage its players well, communicating clearly with everyone to win their trust, Koeman's doing that."

Asked on the recent challenges of the Blaugranas and the recent injury of Ansu Fati, the Brazilian spoke that “Koeman should have more options in attack to manage a line-up which is sufficiently decisive and competitive in big games, in important ties."

"Ansu was playing well, he was gaining confidence and becoming more influential in the team, his absence is another headache for the coach," he added.