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Tensions are running high at Barcelona as the club are going through their toughest spell with Xavi as manager. The performances have not been convincing enough, and at this point, even the last-minute goals and individual brilliance have dried up.
Coming off a disheartening 2-4 loss against Girona, Barcelona were expected to show up against Royal Antwerp in the Champions League despite having qualified to the Round of 16 already.
They fielded a heavily rotated side, with Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri, Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Raphinha, and Joao Felix all benched. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong was not called up at all, even as part of the late changes made by Xavi, reportedly due to a high fever.
Following that, there were reports claiming that Barcelona director Deco reprimanded de Jong on a phone call, shouting at him about missing the game, especially after the defeat to Girona on the weekend.
And while there may be more impending drama, de Jong’s agent, Ali Dursun has put these rumors to bed, claiming that was no such phone call and that the Dutchman missed the game due to legit reasons.
“This is fake news. It is the biggest nonsense that has been said about Frenkie in a long time. The player was just sick and had a fever, and was unable to travel,” he claimed, as relayed by De Telegraaf.
“This young man is a top-notch professional. A professional and a role model. Do not hurt Frenkie’s reputation, because he always keeps his promises. There was no screaming over a phone call as claimed, and no question marks. The relationship with Deco is good and stable,” he added.
De Jong has since joined the team in training, and will likely start in midfield as Barcelona take on Valencia at the Mestalla on the weekend.
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/barcelona-midfielders-agent-slams-down-news-of-argument-with-club-director-there-was-no-screaming/
Author : Udhav Arora
Publish date : 2023-12-14 17:09:14
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