Barcelona veteran defender has taken over ‘mentor’ role for youngsters in the dressing room – report

Marcos Alonso has seen his game-time take a steep decline in his second season with FC Barcelona.

Having joined the club in the summer of last year, the veteran defender enjoyed a fairly prominent role under Xavi Hernandez, playing at left-back and as a centre-back on several occasions.

Things have been much different for Alonso this time around, however, as Alejandro Balde has firmly established himself as the first-choice left-back while Xavi has enough resources in central defence.

As such, the 32-year-old has played just five times this season, totalling up to 170 minutes of action.

Alonso a mentor to youngsters

Despite his reduced role on the pitch, Alonso remains an important figure in the Barcelona dressing room, reports SPORT.

Far from feeling frustrated or looking for a change of scenery, the veteran defender has taken it as a challenge to improve day by day, showing great sportsmanship.

Alonso’s attitude is an example for the technical staff, while he is playing the role of a mentor for the younger players, as Jordi Alba did last season. In fact, it is common to see him always close to the reserve team players in training.

Alonso is the third oldest player in the squad, only behind Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan. Even though he has been at the club for only a year, the Spaniard commands the respect of everyone.

Last season at Barcelona?

While Alonso is still valued by Xavi for what he brings to the table apart from his game on the pitch, the 32-year-old’s contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the season.

The former Chelsea ace is not thinking about an exit at the moment, but at the same time, the Blaugrana are not considering offering him a new contract, unless he is willing to take a significant pay cut.

As such, it remains to be seen if Alonso remains at Barcelona beyond June 30, 2024, when his contract runs down.