Sampaoli is in Barcelona and attended the two most recent games at Camp Nou, a 2-1 win for Real Madrid in La Liga and Barca's 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals first leg.
The 56-year-old said he felt that Barcelona had gone away from the ideals that made the club great under Pep Guardiola, suggesting they were more about individuals than the overall team effort.
"Recently they’ve become a team that is too individualistic, " he said. "It may also be the case that the off the field issues affecting Messi and Neymar are affecting them on the pitch.
"The most serious issue, though, is that they struggle in defense. They let in goals almost every match. Of course [they have Messi]. And Neymar. We’ll soon see if they manage to keep them both because offers will definitely arrive and it will be hard to turn them all down. "
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