Put under pressure by the Blaugrana leaders, the Frenchman is up against the wall. But when he was announced removed from the group for the match against Athletic, some cried foul.
This time, FC Barcelona decided to use the hard way. Faced with the choice of the Dembélé clan to drag out discussions about a contract extension, the Catalan club was forced to act. Free of any contract in six months, Ousmane Dembélé can, since January 1, choose the club of his choice. A situation that seriously infuriates the Culés. While waiting to learn more about this famous meeting between the player’s agent and management, Xavi made a scathing announcement yesterday at a press conference.
“I mean no disrespect to anyone, but the message is clear. The solution is either he extends or he leaves. He tells me he wants to extend and continue. It’s a question you have to ask him. (…) I was very clear. There are two options: either he extends or we seek a solution for him to leave the club. This is the decision we made. This case is complex and at some point we have to decide as a club. » Since then, things have changed a bit. But not in favor of the French.
Barça accused of harassment
Yesterday evening, the Spanish press announced that the number 7 culé could be removed from the group, on the occasion of the King’s Cup match against Athletic this evening. Information almost confirmed this morning by Mundo Deportivo which indicates that “everything suggests that Dembélé will be absent from the trip to Bilbao”. Invited to pack up if he does not extend, will the native also be deprived of a match until a solution is found? An episode that is somewhat reminiscent of the Rabiot case at PSG (the midfielder had been dismissed from the group after deciding to leave at the end of his contract, note). And that could be expensive for Barça.
Once again guest on the show The Chiringuito, Pedro Bravo, president of the association of players’ agents in Spain, has tackled Xavi and Barça hard. “What Xavi Hernández is doing with Ousmane Dembélé is harassment at work. Xavi has done a disservice to Barcelona and a huge service to Dembélé. That’s not what Xavi says, that’s what a royal decree says that regulates the special relationship of professional athletes, and says that players have the right to effective employment, which cannot be withdrawn or excluded from any except due to injury or record. And that doesn’t happen here. Barcelona, like any company, has a right with Dembélé, that is to say, to fire him. The rest give a lot of arguments for a possible union confrontation with Barcelona and their lawyer. Everything that happens has a name on the labor court, and it’s called workplace harassment. » Atmosphere…
