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'I was raised to respect everyone' - Pjanic ends Koeman feud with Instagram denial
The midfielder claimed he meant no contempt by his social media post after his former boss was sacked
Miralem Pjanic has ended his prolonged feud with former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman after Koeman was sacked on Wednesday night.
The Besiktas midfielder, who sparred with Koeman repeatedly following his Blaugrana exile, denied an ambiguous, since-deleted Instagram post was meant as disrespect towards the head coach, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina star appeared to put the entire clash behind him.
Pjanic wrote that "it’s very easy to misquote someone and place them out of context" and added he was "raised to respect everyone" and didn't want to cause further problems.
What's the context for Pjanic's comments?
The 31-year-old on at least two occasions since his September exit has spoken in strong terms about Koeman.
He accused Koeman of disrespect soon after his move to Besiktas, and then suggested Barcelona needed a better leader earlier this month.
As a result, people honed in on his social media accounts to see what he might say in the wake of Koeman's firing. But it seems his initial post - which shared the quote "know when to let that sh*t go" - was misconstrued by fans as a dig at the Dutchman.
Pjanic then shared a follow-up message to explain himself.
What has been said?
“In a world where everyone’s eyes are glued to their screens, it’s very easy to misquote someone and place them out of context," Pjanic wrote.
“Throughout my career, I have never intentionally, indirectly or directly, intended to harm anyone. I was raised to respect everyone and anyone.
“And I content to continue doing that in all ways. I wish Ronald Koeman the best of luck in his future journey.
“I will continue to focus on doing my best for my team.”
