Barcelona’s ongoing crisis keeps getting worse, with the team unable to win on the pitch, and the club’s players, coach and president growing increasingly at odds.
Barcelona on Thursday were held to a 0-0 draw by Cadiz in La Liga, extending their winless streak to three matches and adding pressure on coach Ronald Koeman.
Koeman a day earlier surprisingly read from a prepared statement at the pre-match news conference and downplayed the team’s chances of winning titles this season.
Photo: AP
The players did not hide the fact they were not on the same page.
“I’m not wearing Barca’s jersey to finish second or third,” veteran defender Gerard Pique said after the match. “I’m convinced that despite our bad start we will be contending at the end of the season.” Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who said he was caught by surprise by Koeman’s statement ahead of the match, has been at odds with the coach, who was hired by former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu.
“We have to be more united than ever,” Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto said. “The fans, the squad, the coach, the president ... we have to be united to overcome this situation. We are not going through a good moment, but I’m convinced that we will overcome it.”
Barcelona, without Lionel Messi after nearly two decades, had to hold on in the end against Cadiz after midfielder Frenkie de Jong was sent off after received a second yellow card in the 65th minute. Koeman also was sent off for complaining to the referee in the final minutes.
“I can’t complain about the attitude of the players,” Koeman said. “We did everything possible. It was a complicated match.”
The draw left Barca in seventh place, seven points behind leaders Real Madrid with a game in hand.
“We are Barca and we still have a very good squad,” Roberto said. “We have a team that can win this league and we will try to win it.”
Barcelona were coming off two consecutive setbacks at home — a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League and a 1-1 draw against Granada in La Liga when they needed a 90th-minute equalizer to escape defeat.
Barcelona remain depleted by injuries and Koeman started the match with two teenagers — 17-year-old midfielder Gavi and 18-year-old forward Yusuf Demir.
Elsewhere, Real Sociedad climbed to third place with a 3-2 win at Granada, moving within three points of leaders Real Madrid.
Aritz Elustondo scored twice for the visitors, including the winner in the 82nd minute.
Granada are yet to win this season.
Real Betis Balompie won 3-1 at CA Osasuna for their third victory in four matches in all competitions. Manuel Pellegrini’s team are eighth.
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