The pill still does not pass in Catalonia. A few weeks after the controversial departure of Dro Fernandez to Paris Saint-Germain, the management of FC Barcelona decided to break the silence to set the record straight. Questioned by the daily SportDeco, the Blaugrana sporting director, delivered a cold and scathing analysis of the situation, minimizing the impact of the loss of the young 18-year-old midfielder. Far from bitterly regretting this transfer for 8.5 million euros, the former Portuguese international was keen to recall the institutional hierarchy: “He has decided to leave the club. There is no club like Barça, and he is not the only one to have left. »
A dig at its real level
Deco went further in his clarification, scratching the player’s status at the time of his departure. While Dro Fernandez justified his choice by a desire to “progress”, the Barcelona leader suggested that his place was perhaps not yet in the first team. “He could also play for Juvenil A in the Youth League, because that is what is appropriate for his age,” he said, stressing that the affair had been “highlighted” in the media for an element which only had a reserve release clause. A way of saying that PSG has recruited a hopeful, not a confirmed star.
This reframing comes after weeks of tension. The player had provoked the ire of supporters and the local press by declaring during his Parisian presentation that there was no “no better place” that Paris to grow up, a phrase experienced as an insult to the Masia. Deco also clarified the contractual behind-the-scenes, explaining that the club had an agreement with the agent to negotiate at the player’s majority, but that “things moved quickly” afterwards, sealing the divorce without possibility of return.
Hansi Flick had warned
This release from Deco echoes Hansi Flick’s annoyance. The German coach, reluctant to guarantee playing time out of complacency, had already pointed out the midfielder’s impatience. Internally, relations had deteriorated, notably with reserve coach Juliano Belletti, pushing the Fernandez clan, advised by agent Ivan de la Peña, to activate the Parisian track thanks to links with Luis Enrique. Today, Barça seems to want to turn the page by displaying a facade of indifference, but the tone used by Deco betrays a stubborn resentment towards the one who preferred Paris to Barcelona.
