Barcelona dressing room upset with Sergi Barjuan after post-match comments

It has been just three days since Sergi Barjuan took over the reins of the Barcelona first team, but there already seems to be some tension in the dressing room.

The 49-year-old Barca B manager was handed the reins of the senior team on an interim basis following the sacking of Ronald Koeman. He is expected to stay in charge until a full-time replacement for the Dutchman is appointed.

Barjuan’s first game at the helm did not go down too well as Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by Deportivo Alaves at home on Saturday night. Apart from the disappointing outcome, the Catalans also had to deal with fresh injury concerns as Gerard Pique and Sergio Aguero had to come off with problems during the game.

When quizzed about the injuries after the match, Barjuan replied (h/t MARCA): “It is what it is. You cannot do more. Koeman already said it.”

And, according to a report from Esports3 (h/t MARCA), the interim manager’s comments have not gone down well within the Barcelona dressing room. It is claimed that the players were not entirely pleased by Barjuan’s statement, leading to a tense atmosphere during the training session on Sunday morning.

Questions have been asked of Barca’s medical team recently due to the number of injuries that they have had to deal with this season. There have been cases of stars being asked to play with underlying fitness problems, leading to exacerbated injuries, most recently with Pique on Saturday.

The Catalan giants will take on Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. It is a must-win game for Barca following their disappointing start to the European campaign this term. And, Barjuan will be hoping to rally his troops and get them back to winning ways to keep their knockout qualification hopes alive.