- 12 hours ago
Barcelona stars RAGE with Xavi as Vitor Roque’s agent ‘angry’
Robin Bairner
- 18 May 2024 12:28 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona are in the midst of a crisis, which is set to culminate in the sacking of head coach Xavi.
Reports broke on Friday that president Joan Laporta has taken the decision to part company with the legendary figure at the end of the season.
It is a call that is likely to satisfy certain members of the Barcelona squad, who feel that they have been let down by the coach.
EXPLAINED: Why is Xavi being sacked by Barcelona?
According to Mundo Deportivo, there are five Barcelona players who particularly feel that they have been mismanaged by Xavi.
Top scorer Robert Lewandowski is one of those who has been angered by the 44-year-old. He has been taken off in each of the last four matches, which has frustrated him as he had targeted Artem Dovbyk in the race for the Pichichi, LaLiga’s award for the league’s leading scorer.
Lewandowski barely hid his frustration as he was taken off on each occasion.
REACTION: ‘A circus!’ – Barcelona fans RAGE after Xavi sack bombshell
STATS
Robert Lewandowski
F (CRL)
Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski
F (CRL)
Barcelona
Similarly, Raphinha, who has been regularly picked as a starter, has been annoyed on the occasions that he has been withdrawn from action.
Additionally, Joao Felix is also irritated by a lack of recent pitch time. On loan from Atletico Madrid, he has managed just a handful of minutes in recent matches.
Ronald Araujo is another player the coach has clashed with.
Vitor Roque latest
Vitor Roque, meanwhile, is the player most angered by Xavi. His agent has already spoken out about the situation on numerous occasions in the media, even threatening to leave the club in the summer just six months after a high-profile arrival.
While his frustration is confirmed by Mundo Deportivo, Fabrizio Romano has further outlined the young Brazilian’s situation.
“Vitor Roque’s representatives are also angry at the lack of game time and how Xavi is handling that situation. Barcelona trust the player because they invested €31m guaranteed and more than €30m more in potential add-ons,” Romano writes for the Daily Briefing.
“This is a really, really complicated situation at the club.”
While Vitor Roque has been linked with a move away, the situation will likely change should Xavi depart.
