UEFA Champions League: Spanish football giant Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, has slammed FIFA over what he described as a congested and poorly planned international calendar after the team's prime player, Raphinha, suffered a hamstring injury while representing Brazil.
The injury occurred during an international friendly against France, leaving FC Barcelona without one of their most in-form attackers at a crucial stage of the season.
Laporta did not hold back in his criticism of the scheduling, pointing out that such injuries in non-competitive matches could have serious consequences for clubs competing for major honours, and FIFA must look out for the clubs before making the schedule.
“Raphinha's injury is a shame. We must ask FIFA to draw up an international calendar that takes into account the competitions in which the major clubs are involved,” Laporta said.
“It’s a friendly match, and one of our best players suffers an injury. Of course, it’s annoying. You can’t blame the players; they are professionals, and they give their all for their country. The problem is the crowded schedule, at a time of the season when we are playing for everything. It’s infuriating,” he added.
Barcelona’s medical team has estimated a recovery period of around five weeks for the Brazilian winger, effectively ruling him out of several key fixtures across competitions.
Head coach Hansi Flick now faces a significant selection challenge, with Raphinha expected to miss both legs of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Atlético Madrid. In addition, he is also likely to sit out multiple high-stakes matches in La Liga, where Barcelona are locked in a tight title race with Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s medical team has estimated a recovery period of around five weeks for the Brazilian winger, effectively ruling him out of several key fixtures across competitions.
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FC Barcelona currently leads the La Liga standings with 73 points from 29 matches, but Real Madrid are close behind in second place with 69 points. The four-point gap could narrow quickly, especially if Madrid wins while Barcelona drops points in their next fixture.