There has been a tense atmosphere in the Barcelona dressing room over the last few days, after a training ground bust up between Juan Carlos Unzue and Neymar in which the assistant coach compared the Brazilian’s attitude to that of his contemporary, Ronaldinho.
The incident apparently occurred after Unzue reproached the player for the way in which he was applying himself in training.
“If you continue this way, you’ll end up just like Ronaldinho,” he said to Neymar, a comment that was clearly not to the liking of a player who can count the former Barcelona No.10 amongst his close friends.
Incredibly angry for the rest of the session, the comment, which was probably meant to try and motivate Neymar, looked to have had the opposite effect.
The episode further complicates the possibility that Unzue will inherit the squad from Luis Enrique at the end of the season, because Neymar is not the only one who has had a falling out with the Navarrese.
Lucho’s assistant is considered to have been behind many of the tactical innovations that have been implemented this year, but some haven’t met with universal team approval.
Some players have even dropped hints within the dressing room walls that if Unzue is to become the new first-team coach next season, they will find a way out of the club.
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