Ousmane Dembélé: Barça boss Valverde lays down the law
Ernesto Valverde wouldn't confirm that the France international's ill-discipline has resulted in him being left out of the squad to face Betis.
Ousmane Dembélé’s infractions of Barcelona’s code of ethics appear to have tested Ernesto Valverde’s patience to the limit. Although the Barça boss would not be drawn on his decision to leave Dembélé out of the squad to face Betis on Sunday, it seems that the France international’s recent indiscretions have taken their toll on his boss’ goodwill.
Dembélé reportedly turned up late at Camp Nou ahead of the Champions League match against Inter, something that Valverde played down at the time. The 21-year-old then missed a training session and did not inform the club of the reason until an hour and a half later, saying he had had a bout of gastroenteritis and that he could not call in earlier as his phone battery had died.
Dembélé under the spotlight at Barça
Valverde made Dembélé train apart from the rest of the first team squad on Friday and has now announced his squad for the game against Betis with the France forward not included. Despite his efforts to make light of the youngster’s behavior Valverde has now sent a clear message to his squad.
There have been reports that Barça are tiring of Dembélé’s attitude, from the boardroom to the dressing room, and this latest episode will not have aided the forward’s intention to play a more significant role this season.
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