Paco Alcacer speaks about why he left Barcelona for Dortmund
What's the story?
Paco Alcacer earned his international call-up for the first time since the UEFA Euro Qualifiers in the 2014-15 season. Paco has scored a brace in the Nations League game against Wales yesterday, as Spain registers a 4-1 win against them.
After leaving Barcelona on a loan move to Dortmund this season, he is yet to start a single game for the Germans in the league.
However, the Spaniard has since scored 6 goals - all in substitute appearances.
The Cules saw him as a player of great quality, but Valverde certainly did not provide him with the minutes he deserved. He left the Catalans in search of more playing time and the German Giants were the one to acquire his services.
In case you didn't know...
Paco Alcacer joined the Spanish side in the 2016-17 season from Valencia, and he was signed as a backup striker for Luis Suarez who was in outrageous form back them.
However, Paco played in 27 games across all competitions that season, coming off from the bench in most of the games; scoring just 8 goals.
He traversed his second season with the Blaugrana in the same way, playing in 5 fewer games and bagging 7. This certainly affected his game, as lack of playing time is not any player wishes.
He made just 14 starts in LaLiga in two seasons combined, and it was time he made decisions.
The heart of the matter
Alcacer was a beast back in Valencia, but he was nowhere close to his usual self for Barcelona in the two seasons he played for them. Eventually, he decided to move, and this is what he said on his transfer.
"In the end, it all comes down to making decisions," he told a news conference on Tuesday. "Being at Barcelona for years, not having a leading role, not everything going as I had wanted...
"I decided to look for minutes elsewhere. A player with confidence is better than one without confidence. I left in order to feel happy playing."
Paco Alcacer is thriving at Dortmund currently, and he is having the time of his life. However, it is only a loan move by Barcelona and this might be a case of worry for both the BVB fans as well as the Cules, as Dortmund only need to pay €23 million to acquire his services on a permanent basis.
It is highly unlikely that the Germans would let him go. Paco Alcacer is a fan-favourite now and there is nothing Barcelona can do if Dortmund deposits his clause.
However, if Barcelona succeeds in convincing Dortmund to let him go, it can solve the striker problems the Catalans are traversing through. Suarez's understanding with Messi is by far the best we have seen ever, but his finishing abilities are a bit of a concern.
What's next?
If Paco continues his red-hot form until the end of the season and decides to come back to Barcelona, Suarez will have to take things a bit more seriously.
Paco Alcacer is proving himself to be a world-class striker in every match day, and not many would claim that he cannot be a regular striker for Barcelona.