Getty
Ousmane Dembele has risked the wrath of new manager Ronald Koeman by turning up late for Barcelona training.
The Frenchman arrived at the Ciutat Esportiva 15 minutes late on Monday, and it’s not the first time he has failed to turn up on time for training since Koeman took over, according to Javier Miguel at AS.
Dembele was also 13 minutes late on September 11, but he was not the only player to arrive after the scheduled time. Arturo Vidal and Nelson Semedo were also late, although both players have since left the Camp Nou.
The forward’s tardiness is unlikely to go down well with Koeman. The Dutch coach is known for his no-nonsense approach and is a stickler for discipline. He’s already earned the nickname ‘Sergeant Koeman,’ according to Luis F. Rojo at Marca.
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Dembele in the Spotlight Again
Dembele’s timekeeping has frequently come under the spotlight during his time at Barcelona. The club sent club security staff to look for him after he was two hours late for a training session under previous manager Ernesto Valverde, according to Sam Marsden at ESPN.
Valverde also admitted Dembele had been late for a Champions League match against Inter in October 2018 but played down the incident.
Defender Gerard Pique said at the time that Dembele needed to learn from his mistakes and adopt a more professional attitude.
“We have to help him realize that football is a 24-hour thing. And that sometimes it’s not just about doing [your job] but also appearing to. We have all been young and we have all made mistakes. I am convinced he will improve.”
Dembele has suffered an awful time with injuries since joining Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. However, he is now fit and available and made his first La Liga appearance since November 2019 on Sunday in the win over Villarreal.
Barcelona Working Hard Under Koeman
Koeman has already instigated plenty of changes since taking over from Quique Setien. He has increased the length and intensity of training sessions and wants players at the training ground an hour before their session is due to start, according to Rojo.
The Dutch coach was rewarded with a comfortable win over Villarreal in his first game in charge on Sunday but is continuing to work his players hard. Barca now face an intense week of six training session and two matches, according to Miguel.
Dembele will be hoping to feature in the forthcoming games against Celta Vigo and Sevilla. The 23-year-old started on the bench on Sunday but came on for Ansu Fati after 70 minutes.
The 17-year-old was the star of the show against the Yellow Submarine, scoring two and winning a penalty. However, the congested nature of Barca’s fixture list means Koeman will look to switch things around, and Dembele should get chances to stake a claim for a starting spot.