"It's over" - Barcelona boss Xavi plays down fans jeering Ousmane Dembele during Napoli draw
Barcelona boss Xavi has downplayed the fans initially jeering Ousmane Dembele during their Europa League draw against Napoli on Thursday. The manager said that the anger towards Dembele is 'over' as the fans applauded the French star at the full-time whistle.
The Blaugrana found themselves in a sticky situation when Piotr Zielinski gave Napoli the lead in the 29th minute during their Europa League tie at the Camp Nou. Barcelona was handed a lifeline when VAR intervened and gave them a penalty after Juan Jesus was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box.
Ferran Torres stepped up to convert from the spot to level things up. To secure the win, Xavi brought on Dembele in the 65th minute to replace Adama Traore. However, the French star was greeted with a chorus of boos whenever he touched the ball.
Despite whistles from the crowd, the 24-year-old produced a sparkling performance and created many chances for Barcelona to clinch the win.
After the game, Xavi was asked about Dembele's reception when he was introduced. The Barcelona boss, who had asked the fans not to jeer the former Borussia Dortmund man, said the crowd didn't listen to his plea.
He then quickly downplayed the whistles from the Camp Nou faithful by saying that they were forced to applaud Dembele after his incredible performance on the night.
"The crowd didn't listen to me," Xavi said. But in the end it turned into applause. Now we have whistled him and that's it. It's over. The news is that the whistles have turned into applause."
#FCB
Barcelona manager Xavi: “Ousmane Dembélé will turn whistles into applause here at Camp Nou, I’m sure”. 🔴 #FCB
“We have to trust Ferrán Torres - it's a matter of giving him time and confidence”. https://t.co/OeiJbECjTn
Xavi also praised Ferran Torres, who was left in tears after missing a few chances in the match's dying moments to secure the win.
Ousmane Dembele is set to leave Barcelona at the end of this season
At the moment, Dembele looks set to leave the Spanish club at the end of the season, with many teams vying for his signature. The French forward rejected a contract extension put forward by the Blaugrana and was told to find a new club during January.
Towards the end of the winter transfer window, Dembele was linked with a move to the Premier League and PSG. However, nothing materialized, and the former Dortmund player was forced to stay at the Catalunyan club.
Xavi insisted that he would use the French star for the rest of the season and urged the fans not to jeer Dembele.
Barça manager Xavi protecting Ousmane Dembélé: “He’s a player of the squad. He's going to help the team and he'll play for sure. It's a closed topic”. 🔵🔴 #FCB
“I wanted to give Ousmane minutes against Atlético, but circumstances didn't make it happen”. https://t.co/WoqcXk0ACE
While his plea was initially rejected, the Blaugrana boss can be happy that the fans appreciated the wantaway star's performance on Thursday night.