Concerns over the situation at Barcelona are beginning to spread on Sunday, on the back of another alarming performance, and ensuing result.
Xavi Hernandez’s troops were of course back in action a short time ago.
After bouncing back from a pair of successive defeats courtesy of a hard-fought win at Real Sociedad during the week, the Blaugrana welcomed Rayo Vallecano to the Camp Nou, aiming to build some momentum ahead of the season’s run-in.
When all was said and done, however, to say that Barca’s efforts towards as much came up short would be something of an understatement.
Another underwhelming display ultimately culminated in the evening’s hosts being put to the sword by a goal to nil, courtesy of what proved to be an Alvaro Garcia winner inside the game’s opening ten minutes.
?⚽️ Álvaro García ⚡️#BarçaRayo #VamosRayo pic.twitter.com/yH2mDNiOGL
— Rayo Vallecano (@RayoVallecano) April 24, 2022
Xavi ‘furious’
The problems for Barca, though, as alluded to above, do not appear to have been confined solely to the eventual result on Sunday.
This comes with concerning news surrounding two important members of Xavi’s squad having too been forthcoming amid the action in Catalunya.
First up came Sergino Dest.
United States international Dest was afforded his latest start versus Rayo this evening, stepping in for Dani Alves on the back of the Brazilian’s early departure from proceedings at Sociedad during the week.
The former Ajax talent, though, managed just 45 minutes before being hooked from proceedings in favour of Clement Lenglet.
And it has since been revealed that this come owing to the ‘fury’ of his manager, who was left enraged by Dest’s contribution to Rayo’s early opener:
Sergino Dest was pulled by Xavi at the half for Barcelona after being partly to blame for Vallecano’s opening goal.
‘Xavi is furious with Dest’ according to Spanish announcers.
(h/t @totalBarca) pic.twitter.com/KG9BR9CC12
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) April 24, 2022
Not only that, but Xavi is then understood to have provoked the anger of another Barca star, in opting to shake things up amid his side’s struggles early in the 2nd-half.
Frenkie de Jong was the player in question, whose face after seeing his number displayed on the fourth official’s board on the hour mark left little to the imagination, amid a miserable night all-round for a stuttering Barcelona outfit…
Frenkie de Jong after being subbed off. pic.twitter.com/jJzU81ucRC
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 24, 2022
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