FC Barcelona’s disappointing start to the 2021-22 season continues following a disappointing goalless draw with Cadiz at the Nuevo Mirandilla on Thursday night. This sees Barca slip to seventh place in the La Liga standings, with a seven-point gap separating them from league leaders and bitter rivals Real Madrid.
In addition to the underwhelming performance on the pitch, Barca also faces several personnel issues, with midfielder Frenkie de Jong being shown a red card after receiving successive yellow cards within a five-minute window. To make matters worse for the Blaugranes, manager Ronald Koeman was sent off the pitch during the dying minutes of the second half due to dissent.
Koeman’s red card was yet another major concern for the Barca manager, whose future at the club already seems uncertain due to the rocky start to the season that the club has endured under his watch.
During the post-match press conference, Koeman expressed much frustration in his sending-off decision, explaining, “All I said to the fourth official was that there were two balls on the pitch. They send you off for nothing in this country. I asked the referee in a calm manner, but let’s leave it as it’s not my problem.”
