Marc-Andre Ter Stegen Y Frenkie de Jong are two of the large signaled for the defeat in Munich and, consequently, of the elimination of Barça in the Champions. Called to be two of the sacred cows that lead the renovation of the Barça, the two offered a very low performance in Munich that is no longer surprising. The lack of forcefulness of the goalkeeper, transparent for a long time, and the absence of leadership of the Dutch, they are placed in the trigger and, in a team in which nobody is essential, and with the economy shaking, also in the market. The Turin falls, Rome The Liverpool they always reached the veterans (Piqué, Busquets, Alba, Suárez and even Messi). With some amortized and others far from the Barça club, the eyes look now to these two protagonists.
It has been a long time since Barça lacks leaders at locker room. The march of Carles Puyol he left a empty enormous that has been evidenced over the years. There is a absence of moral authority absolute in the booth that, for a time, was hidden by the flow of football and hit that had a team that had a list of posh players such as Iniesta, Rakitic, Suárez, Neymar or, of course, Messi. But i know they neglected the invisible leaderships.
Ter Stegen and De Jong have not only been unable to assume that role in the dressing room. Either they have rendered on the grass. The gradual fall of the goalkeeperWhether due to the two knee surgeries or a question of confidence, it has been one of the worst news for the club in recent years. Where it was thought that there was a doorman for a decade, now there is Ter Stegen victim of their insecurities, to which they score a goal almost on every clear occasion.
The Frenkie de Jong recession it has also been surprising. Beyond his hamstring problems, the performance from dutch this season is disappointing. Unable to catch the team’s flag, the signs of a great player that were seen last year between January and April, when he played a spectacular Cup final, have also disappeared. In 45 Champions League games between Ajax and the Barça has been be unable from score a single goal. But beyond his lack of arrival, what is surprising is his lack of self-esteem to become one of the leaders of the team now that he needs so much footballers of hierarchy. Maybe it’s in his own character.
Ter Stegen Y Frenkie de Jong have ceased to be untouchable and, considering that they still have a high market value (55 million for the goalkeeper, and 90 for the former Ajax player according to the specialized website Transfermarkt, for Barça they are transferable players. If at some point Barça thought that the reconstruction could begin with them, for now that hope has disappeared and perhaps the planning of a new template with a view to the 2022-23 season also have to go through a drastic change of names and find new leaders. And that, as the economy of Barça is, is only achieved by first entering money. Ter Stegen and De Jong have long missed the opportunity to raise their hands and say here I am.