League
Xavi: ‘I hope Nico, Pedri and Gavi can go beyond what we have done’
02/20/2022 At 7:56 PM
After a very turbulent transfer window and a management of FC Barcelona who wanted to put him in the closet until June, the “Mosquito” returned to the good graces of Xavi Hernández. “Dembélé came very close to spending six months in the stands, which shouldn’t be acceptable for any playerwrites Lluís Miguelsanz. The situation invited this but Xavi, a football man, came to the rescue. By conviction as by need because the French remains, whatever one says, the attacker who makes the most difference.”
The native of Terrassa has gone there in stages for the last three weeks: out of the group just to score, in the call-up but on the bench for 90 minutes against Atlético de Madrid, then two appearances, first on the lawn of Espanyol, then against Napoli at Camp Nou and finally a tenure at Mestalla against Valencia CF punctuated by an assist.
A mistake by Xavi?
So: forgiven, delivered Dembélé? The whistles that greeted his return to Blaugrana in front of his home crowd last Thursday faded over the minutes, as the Frenchman multiplied the battering to force the equalizer and Ferran Torres focused attention with his missed chances. However, the return of the former Rennais to the field is not unanimous among socios. “It’s a complicated caserecognizes Johan, Franco-Spanish subscriber who does not miss a match at Camp Nou and socio number 125428. In my opinion, this is the only mistake Xavi made since he arrived, although I manage to understand it: he needs results and quickly.”
The story is the same for Navid, socio number 126802: “Xavi favors the sportsman over the institution and I don’t find that normal. I think the leaders let him act like that because they probably fear for the results…unless they have agreed to try one last time to extend Dembélé. Either way, it sticks in my throat.”
Dembélé clash: ‘Barca’s fault is paying anyone, anything, anytime’
The situation of “Dembouz” illustrates a form of border between the aficion and the club. It’s not Ukraine and Russia either, but it’s not negligible. The immediacy certainly forces a reinstatement of the winger. In any case, this is what Navid suggests: “lhe victory in the Europa League is very important financially for the club and this predominates over the project.”
However, Dembélé did not convince and this is what will remain of his 5 seasons in Catalonia. “I am disappointed with his attitude but especially with his performance on certain matchesinsists Johan who must have one of the finest collections of club shirts. Tactically, he is not always on point and he often makes the wrong choices. I would have preferred a start this winter so that the problem could be solved once and for all.”
A last chance offer?
Unable to transfer Ousmane Dembélé before the end of the winter transfer window and therefore to recover money in addition to making room in the salary grid, the leaders do not have many solutions: either the player sign where he wants without transfer compensation (with a purchase price of around €140m, a hell of a financial mess), or they manage to have it extended on their terms. “Dembélé knows what his coach has done for him and, without a doubt, he owes him one.writes Jordi Carné in Sport. He will have to prove it on the pitch but maybe these extra six months that Barça have given him should also be used to reflect on his behavior..”
After the January telenovela, it is not certain that the socios would appreciate a season 2. Once again, the club must remain above the ground. “I understand the whistles Dembele received against Napolisays Navid. Currently, the Camp Nou audience is made up of 85% of subscribers and subscribers-socios. They understand the principle of institution better than the new supporters.”
Ousmane Dembélé, on the bench against Atlético
Credit: Getty Images
So even if, according to the Catalan press, Dembélé would reiterate his desire to stay at Barça in the Blaugrana locker room, the seduction operation will take longer in public opinion: “he says it’s his dream but in reality he prefers to let his agent ask for the maximum amount of money despite the economic situation, when he has been regularly injured and has never fully responded here.”
Johan is hardly more excited about the prospect of a new contract, especially after recent arrivals to flesh out the attack. As an absolute fan of bullfighter Pablo Aguado, he strikes: “a possible last offer is mentioned. We will have to see the performance of other players but also his own performances. But in my opinion, if Ferran Torres, Adama Traoré and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had arrived at the start of the season, Dembélé would not even have played.”
After four and a half years in Barcelona, Dembélé never really met his audience and, despite some flashes, the transplant never took when he arrived with great hopes to succeed Neymar. Can the fracture heal in a few weeks? It seems very hypothetical, even with a successful end to the season.
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Dembele? “He turned the whistles into applause”
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