Barcelona star hits out at Lionel Messi and others for low work rate
By Kian Long
There is a power struggle going on at Barcelona right now, it seems…
Barcelona is having a satisfactory season, many would argue. Although the Coronavirus has put a halt on many of Europe’s top leagues, the Catalan side sits top of La Liga going into the break and still within a chance of the Champions League.
However, despite things going on well on the pitch, it would seem that there is a struggle off the pitch to reach any kind of consensus. This has all come about after director of football Eric Abidal made comments that he was concerned with some of the players’ work rates.
This was not a topic of concern to most players, according to Diario Gol. However, one player, in particular, agrees with Abidal and that is Marc-Andre ter Stegen. It’s reported that he wants some players to step up a gear in training and has even called for more time spent on the training pitch.
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Ter Stegen is the only Barcelona player that has sided with Abidal, according to the Spanish outlet, since even the likes of Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, who are known to have high standards, see no problem with how their teammates and they train.
The German goalkeeper has been linked with a move away from Catalonia this summer, with Bayern Munich said to be on the cards. His unhappiness with how his teammates are training could be a reason why he wants to leave the club, perhaps because he feels the players around him are becoming too complacent. However, this is not explicit.
One thing is for sure, though. Ter Stegen is in the correct position to make such a bold statement. He has been Barcelona’s most important player this season, alongside Messi, and without him, the Blaugrana would not be top of the Spanish top flight. He has saved his side on numerous occasions when they perhaps should have dropped points.
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Do you think Marc-Andre ter Stegen was right to agree with Eric Abidal?