With the current season ready to ender its conclusive phase, one FC Barcelona official who will see his workload increase significantly in the coming months is the club’s Sporting Director, Deco.
The former midfielder will not only have to look for a replacement for Xavi before the end of the season, but will also have to work to fill in the gaps in the squad so the next Barcelona coach can fight for all the titles.
However, Barcelona’s current campaign is still alive and kicking, as the club is still in contention for La Liga and Champions League. Deco definitely believes the team is still capable of winning the league, as this was clear from the comments that he made in a recent interview which has been reported by Mundo Deportivo:
“I want to clarify that this team was never asked to win; what was asked is to compete because when you compete well, the chances of winning increase. If you ask me today, I believe the league is not over. Saturday’s victory gives us some hope. The upcoming games before Napoli will be important for us and our rivals.”
The usage of VAR and the conduct of referees has been criticized multiple times by the club in recent weeks. Deco was also critical of the usage of VAR, and shared his doubts about the arbitration in La Liga:
“I have many doubts. It’s disorienting for the viewer. We don’t know why it intervenes and why it doesn’t. You need a lot of conviction to show that yellow card without consulting. I know the regulations say what they say, but the expulsion could have conditioned the game. We will appeal. It’s a normal action in the game.”
Deco was a Barcelona player for a part of the time for which the club is facing accusations in the Negreira case. When asked about the possible influence of referees in favor of Barcelona, the Sporting Director laughed and said:
“I felt supported by Samuel’s goals, by Ronnie’s plays, Iniesta’s, Xavi’s, Valdés’ saves, Puyol’s tackles, Márquez’s changes of play… I don’t believe in that kind of influence.”
