Barcelona Sporting Director Deco to push senior player for more after taking active role

Barcelona are trying every measure they can to improve the disappointing form and directionless play that has bogged them down for several months now, and one of the people charged with doing so is Sporting Director Deco. President Joan Laporta and Deco have agreed that he should take a more active role in helping the team, acting as a support for manager Xavi Hernandez, and working more closely with him.

That was reported by Catalunya Radio on Thursday afternoon, who say that Laporta and Deco are concerned by the current state of the side.

This information was built upon by Joan Fontes though, who revealed that one of the ways in which Deco wants to help is by asking ‘much more’ of and ‘pressing’ senior star Ilkay Gundogan. Without being poor, he has not performed as hoped, and neither has he been the leader Xavi required.

Desde el podcast “El Reservat” de @Catradioesports nos cuentan que Deco se va a acercar más al vestuario para ayudar a Xavi. Según me consta, un jugador al que Deco pediría mucho más y “apretaría” sería a Ilkay Gundogan. Uno de los jugadores que menos se cree a Xavi, influenciado…

— Dongcast (@JoanFontes) January 18, 2024

Fontes goes on to say that Xavi feels Gundogan has been influenced by fellow German-speaker Robert Lewandowski, who by all accounts is losing faith in the Catalan coach.

It was reported by Bar Canaletes last month that senior figures within the dressing room were not life under Xavi this season, and were not convinced by his management. That much adds up, as frequently some senior figures in the Blaugrana side have been committing basic errors on a consistent basis.