Within the realms of FC Barcelona exist, multiple teams, all the way from the primary A team to the developing sides of the subsidiary. Players develop and progress through these ranks, and simultaneously also suffer at various points.
In the most recent of fixtures, 11th-placed CF Intercity faced off against 4th-placed Barcelona Atletic in Matchday 36 of the Primera Federacion. The game ended in a 2-0 victory for Intercity, as the play-off aspiring Barcelona side take a massive hit in their objective towards promotion.
One event in particular that gained media interest and raised eyebrows was the substitution of winger Estanis Pedrola at half time. Typically one of the team’s driving forces and source of goals, the substitution of the player midway through the match could be seen as a self-depreciating decision by the coach, Rafa Marquez.
As per Mundo Deportivo, following the full-time whistle, the manager was questioned regarding the decision and the overall performance of his team in both halves following the changes he made. Answering the latter question, the manager had the following to say in relation to the improvement he saw:
“Two totally different parts, the first the worst of the tournament with an unrecognizable team, in the second we tried to adjust but we couldn’t.”
And to answer why he changed the young winger at half time, the manager brought into light the player’s likeliness to get suspended due to his dangerous behavior on the field:
“I changed Estanis because of his attitude, I really didn’t like Estanis’s attitude and I was putting him at risk of being sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct.”
While this strays from the player’s typical praise that he receives at the hands of his coaches, it does seem to be an issue that will likely be resolved behind closed doors by the player and his coach.
