Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
Within the midst of Barcelona’s 1-2 loss to Las Palmas, a delicate element went largely unnoticed however could possibly be important. It issues the hierarchy of the staff’s captaincy, which was disrupted through the match in opposition to final weekend’s opponent.
Three of the 5 membership captains have been on the sector, but when Frenkie de Jong got here on as an alternative, he didn’t obtain the captain’s armband from Raphinha, who stored the function till the ultimate whistle.
This incident isn’t solely new however stands out on condition that in earlier matches, Raphinha had handed over the armband to Frenkie as quickly as he got here on.
It was an uncommon sight for followers watching the match, contemplating that previously, there had been a constant switch of captaincy when Frenkie changed different gamers on the pitch.
The final time Frenkie, who continues to be scuffling with an ankle challenge, entered as an alternative, within the Champions League recreation in opposition to Younger Boys, Raphinha was nonetheless the one carrying the armband, regardless that Barcelona have been main 4-0.
Raphinha has all the time handed him the band
Raphinha didn’t give Frenkie de Jong the captain’s armband in opposition to Las Palmas. (Picture by Angel Martinez/Getty Pictures)
The situations have repeated in subsequent matches main as much as the defeat to Las Palmas, with Raphinha transferring the captaincy to Frenkie when he entered the sport.
Notably, this included moments in video games such because the Alaves and Bayern Munich matches, the place Raphinha handed the armband over to Frenkie as quickly as he took to the sector.
In some fixtures, just like the 0-4 win in opposition to Actual Madrid, Frenkie wore the armband after approaching at half-time. The identical occurred within the derby in opposition to Espanyol.
There have additionally been moments the place Frenkie wore the armband briefly, even when approaching late, similar to in matches in opposition to Celta Vigo and Brest.
On each events, regardless of the restricted time, he completed the match as captain, a transparent signal of his rising management inside the squad.
It have to be famous that inside the hierarchy of Barcelona’s management, de Jong is the staff’s third captain and Raphinha is fourth. Nonetheless, as soon as he got here on in opposition to Las Palmas, the order didn’t change.
