Two or three days ago, executives at FC Barcelona were confident that they have almost assembled the team that would represent the club in the coming season, and only a few new arrivals at the right-back and attacking midfielder positions will be needed.
Thus, parting with Dembele was not in the club’s plans for this summer, and it was expected that the Frenchman would play a key part in Xavi’s attack in this coming season.
Xavi has had full confidence in Dembele ever since he took the coaching position at Barcelona, and as a result, SPORT reports that the head coach is the most disappointed person with Dembele’s decision to leave the club.
It needs to be remembered here that it was Xavi who believed in the Frenchman and defended him when no one was willing to count on his ability to remain fit during a campaign and contribute significantly to the club’s objectives. Xavi helped him recover from his injuries and poor form and helped him get back to his best in the last two seasons.
Even in the pre-season, it was looking like Dembele’s speed and verticality would be Barcelona’s key attacking asset in the coming season. The Frenchman himself expressed in a media talk after a recent match that after winning La Liga, his greatest wish now was to win the Champions League with Barcelona.
However, things changed for the worse after the El Classico in Dallas, as Dembele informed Xavi and his staff about his decision to leave Barcelona for PSG. Since then, Xavi has communicated with the player multiple times to convince the winger to stay and disclosed how important a role Dembele will play in this year’s Champions League charge by Barcelona.
Xavi also gave the example of Neymar, as the Brazilian had also forced his departure to PSG during the pre-season tour of the USA in 2017. Neymar’s departure directly led to Dembele’s arrival at Barcelona, but since his departure, the Brazilian has been trying to return to Camp Nou as he has suffered both sportingly and personally with this move.
Still, Dembele remains adamant about a move to Paris, and he is clear he will play the next season at Parc de Princes. Thus, Xavi’s would be highly disappointed with Dembele’s conduct, but he will have to look for a solution to the problem that will be caused by Dembele’s absence in the next season.
