Getty Ousmane Dembele in Barcelona training.
Barcelona offered updates on Sergio Aguero and Ousmane Dembele after Saturday’s La Liga win over Espanyol at the Camp Nou in new coach Xavi’s first game in charge of the Catalan giants.
A second-half penalty from Memphis Depay gave the hosts all three points in the derby and handed Xavi a winning start to life back at the Camp Nou. The new boss spoke after the match and addressed a report that striker Aguero will be forced to retire from professional football due to a heart condition.
“I don’t know where it’s come from. I spoke to him and he’s calm. I told him he can come when he wants. It’s a medical issue. We have to wait,” he said, as reported by Tom Allnutt at the AFP.
Barcelona ruled Aguero out of action for three months at the start of November 2021 after he was taken off in the 1-1 La Liga draw with Alves after reporting chest discomfort during the first half.
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Dembele Wants to Stay?
Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany also spoke about Aguero and insisted no decision had been made on the Argentine’s future just yet, as reported by Diario Sport.
“You have to respect the situation a lot and give the to Kun,” he said. “The medics will evaluate him. Accelerating anything is imprudent, let the medics and Kun be calm. Now it’s not clear and it’s very delicate. He has our support, we’ll see if it goes well or not. There’s no news. Wait, please.”
Alemany also spoke about the future of Dembele. The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season and yet to agree a contract extension, but Alemany seems confident he will continue at the Camp Nou.
“With Ousmane we’ve been speaking for a few months, they know what we think,” he said. “His desire is to stay at Barca, his agents too and they are following the project. They tell me they are happy with Xavi’s arrival, I am especially optimistic with Dembele and I hope he stays.”
Xavi Talks Espanyol Win
Barcelona began life under coach Xavi with a 1-0 win over Espanyol that ends a run of four matches without a win in La Liga and sends the team into sixth place in the table. Xavi spoke about his team’s performance after the win, as reported by Diario AS.
“I am very happy with the three points and the effort of the players. Then there is a rival who squeezes you and Espanyol has players, like Darder, who has made a great game, and De Tomás,” he said. “I am happy and I think it is a deserved victory. What could not fail, which was the attitude, has not failed. It is difficult to attack a line of five, plus a line of four plus the forward with our pivot. But we have created opportunities. We still have young people who do not dominate the whole game. I am very happy. But we have to improve a lot.”
Xavi now faces a crunch Champions League group game against Benfica on Tuesday, November 23. A victory for Barca over the Portuguese side will send the Catalans into the last 16 of the competition.
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