Dembele becomes first Barcelona player to fall foul of Xavi’s strict rules
Ousmane Dembele has become the first Barcelona player to fall foul of Xavi’s new ’10 commandments’ after reportedly arriving three minutes late to training on Friday.
Club legend Xavi has been tasked with revamping Barca with the club languishing in ninth in the LaLiga table, and one of his first decisions was to implement a set of strict rules for his players to adhere to.
Near the top of the list was forcing players to arrive 90 minutes before a training session, and The Daily Mirror report that Dembele has been made an example of after arriving late on Friday.
He will now be fine, and also risks falling foul of another of Xavi’s commandments if it happens again, with the punishments being doubled every time they reoccur.
It could, therefore, become an expensive season for the Frenchman if his lateness happens regularly.
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It was reported in Spain earlier this week that Xavi is the first Barcelona boss to implement a fine structure since Luis Enrique in 2017, with the likes of Ronald Koeman believing that the players should be disciplined enough to follow the rules without the threat of punishment.
Previously it was also at the players’ discretion whether they ate lunch at the training ground or went home immediately after the session to eat – but now Xavi is insistent that all players eat together at the Cuitat Esportiva.
Diet is hugely important to Xavi and he believes that by eating the right things, his squad can prevent injuries and improve their physical preparations for matches.
Xavi’s players will also have to limit their non-footballing activities, with number six on his list of 10 commandments detailing another ‘non-negotiable requirement’.
Stars have been told that when there are less than 48 hours until a game, they must not arrive home later than midnight, to ensure that they turn up for kick-off in the best possible condition.
They have also been asked to exert ‘control over extra-sports activities’, and have been threatened with the punishment of being escorted by a member of the coaching staff if any non-footballing activity begins to impact their performance.
After coming into force this week, club legend Gerard Pique has already cancelled a planned TV interview in a bid to ‘focus on football’.
Some ‘risky’ activities have also been banned completely, with players told they are now not allowed to surf or ride electric bikes, for fear of injury.
If any player is found guilty of that, it will be passed straight to the club’s legal department and is considered a ‘flagrant breach of contract’.