Despite qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2019, after overcoming Borussia Dortmund with a resounding 4-0 win in the first leg, the 3-1 defeat in Germany exposed several flaws within Barcelona’s ranks and sparked anger in the dressing room.
In a surprising development, according to information from the Spanish newspaper ‘‘El Nacional‘‘, young Spanish star Pedri expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the performance of some of his teammates after the match. He sent a direct message to coach Hansi Flick, demanding a “bold decision” to exclude certain players from the starting lineup in the upcoming period.
The first player is Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo, who was responsible for several defensive errors in the second leg and directly contributed to the German team’s third goal after passing the ball to Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy inside the penalty area.
The second player is left-back Gerard Martin, who delivered a disastrous performance both defensively and offensively, failing to contribute in either phase of play making him a clear vulnerability in the Catalan team’s defense.
Pedri stated clearly:
“If we want to achieve something big this season… there is no place for these two players in the starting lineup anymore.”
Pedri’s comments reflect the seriousness with which the players are approaching the next phase, which will be crucial in shaping the outcome of Barcelona’s season on all fronts.