One of the highlights of the last transfer window at FC Barcelona was the sale of Abde Ezzalzouli to Real Betis on the last day of the market. After having struggled to impress Xavi in the pre-season, Abde decided to leave the Catalan club for Real Betis as he wanted to have a prominent role.
The Moroccan had impressed in his last season, which he spent on loan at Osasuna, and was a frequent starter for Jagoba Arrasate. However, he faced stiff competition for the forward spots in Barcelona, and things would have gotten even more difficult after the incorporation of Felix and the rise of Lamine Yamal.
Abde unhappy with Barcelona
However, according to SPORT, there was another source of grievance that led Abde to leave the Catalan club. Its report mentions that Abde did not feel the support of Barcelona when he was playing at Osasuna.
The report also claims that in one meeting with Deco, Abde complained that no one from the Catalan club came to see him play for Osasuna. Abde took this as a sign that Barcelona was not actually interested in him coming back to the club, and this made him reluctant to remain at Barcelona after returning this summer.
Abde’s experience led to the creation of Bojan’s new post
This experience with Abde was one of the reasons why Barcelona decided to appoint Bojan Krkic in charge of keeping in contact with and monitoring players on loan or those on whom Barcelona had a buyback clause.
Bojan is now keeping a close eye on all such players, and Julain Araujo is one of the players who is impressing Bojan the most with his compelling performances with Las Palmas.
Moreover, the former Barcelona forward is also keeping tabs on young players within the club. Youth or subsidiary players who tend to feature or train with the first team often feel lost after their initial encounters. Bojan is now there to keep in touch with them and better help them adapt to the first team settings.
Helping them manage expectations and the pressure involved, he is vital to their settlement. Having once been an aspiring youngster himself, he remains aware of what keeps the upcoming stars motivated.