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Barcelona teenager Chadi Riad has admitted he could not hold back the tears after making his first-team debut off the bench in the 2-1 win over Osasuna on Tuesday in La Liga.
The 19-year-old was handed the final few minutes of the match which ended with a win for the visitors despite the fact striker Robert Lewandowski was sent off in the first half at El Sadar.
Riad spoke about the match and admitted he did not expect to get on but was absolutely thrilled when manager Xavi indicated he would be making his first senior appearance, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
“I was on the bench, I didn’t expect it and they told me to come out to warm up and I lasted 20 seconds. The truth is that I was very nervous, but my teammates helped me calm down and supported me a lot, on and off the field and I thank them very much,” he said. “They congratulated me and I cried with emotion because it’s something I’ve been working on for a long time. I felt a lot of joy, I’ve been dreaming of it since I was very little and I thank Xavi for the trust he has placed in me to get those minutes in El Sadar.”
Riad is a promising youngster who has already been tipped to replace Gerard Pique at Barcelona. Tuesday’s match was Pique’s final game before he hangs up his boots but ended with the defender sent off at half-time for arguing with the match referee.
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Xavi Talks Chadi Riad
Tuesday’s match was the third time that Riad had been in the senior matchday squad. The defender is a regular for Barca Atletic and will be hoping for more first-team opportunities as the season progresses.
Xavi has already made it clear that he has high hopes for the 19-year-old and thinks he has a big future ahead of him at the Camp Nou.
“Chadi is very physical, has great distribution. He’s player we like that’s why he’s on the list,” he told a press conference. “There are various options we could bring in. Chadi is a player who definitely could have a present and future for the club.”
The departure of Pique should help Riad’s chances but Xavi does still have plenty of central defensive options with Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, and Eric Garcia available.
However, Xavi’s willingness to hand Riad his debut will offer the youngster hope that he can follow players such as Alejandro Balde, Gavi, and Ansu Fati into the first team at Barcelona.
Barcelona Set For World Cup Break
Barcelona now take a break from domestic action due to the 2022 World Cup. The Catalans do not play again in La Liga until December 31 against Espanyol at the Camp Nou.
Tuesday’s win at Osasuna saw Barca move five points clear at the top of the table which means the Catalans will stay in first place throughout the World Cup, regardless of Real Madrid’s result against Cadiz on Thursday.
The second half of the season could offer Riad more chances for senior minutes. Players such as Christensen, Araujo, Eric, and Kounde will all feature at the World Cup and may need to be rotated in the second half of the season to avoid fatigue.
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