‘Never easy with Messi taking all the credit’ – Coutinho’s Barcelona departure disappoints Rivaldo

Philippe Coutinho’s move to Bayern Munich has “disappointed” Rivaldo, but a fellow Brazilian concedes it is never easy at Barcelona when “Lionel Messi constantly takes all the credit”.

A loan switch to the Allianz Arena has been made by a 27-year-old playmaker looking to rediscover his spark.

Coutinho’s time at Barcelona, on the back of a dream transfer from Liverpool, has not played out as anybody had planned.

The South American struggled to deliver on a consistent basis while operating in the shadow of Camp Nou talisman Messi.

He now has an opportunity to prove his worth all over again in Germany, with Bayern having the option to complete a €120 million (£110m/$133m) deal next summer, and Rivaldo hopes a countryman can thrive in new surroundings.

The 2002 World Cup winner and former Barcelona favourite told Betfair: “I always believed that Philippe Coutinho had the ability to succeed at Barcelona, but things were taking too much time and both parties agreed on a transfer to Bayern Munich.

“I'm a little disappointed about his failure in gaining a regular place in the first team, but perhaps he was no longer confident about it and unhappy, so he opted for a move to another big club trying to finally recover his best football from his time at Liverpool.

“It's never easy to find your space in a team where Lionel Messi constantly takes all the credit and responsibility. There are few players in the world capable of reaching such a situation and imposing themselves, and maybe Coutinho didn't have enough patience to find his spot in the team.

“The Argentinian star is the team leader and will keep playing at his best level for about three or four more years, so it is difficult to see other players shining at their best at Barcelona.”

Coutinho is looking forward to taking on a new challenge, telling Bayern’s official website upon his arrival in Bavaria: “For me, this move means a new challenge in a new country with one of the best clubs in Europe. I'm very much looking forward to that.

“Like FC Bayern, I have big ambitions and I'm convinced that I can achieve them together with my new team-mates.”

The reigning Bundesliga champions, who were held by Hertha Berlin in their 2019-20 season opener, will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Schalke.