Levante’s season looks to be unravelling fast as reports of a split dressing room emerge, with Juan Ignacio Martinez and Javier Barkero speculated as leaving.
Los Granotes are seen in Spain this week as a dressing room divided, although the cause for the split is still in contention.
Valencian-based Superdeporte are leading with the suggestion that Martinez’ recent team selections that have benched the likes of Sergio Ballesteros, Juanlu and Gustavo Munua has ‘taken its toll’ during a run of just one win from the last 12 League rounds.
Reportedly, the dressing room unrest is enough to have sporting director Manolo Salvador hesitant on sticking with Martinez or not.
The Coach’s contract expires in June and Levante are reported as having already started enquiries with possible replacements in case he does not sign on again.
However, Marca and AS suggest that a half-time dressing room brawl two weeks ago between Barkero, Munua, Juanlu, Ballesteros and Juanfran was the reason for the wholesale changes of recent weeks and the subsequent split.
It is alleged that Barkero accused his teammates of not trying hard enough during the half-time break of the home game against Deportivo, when the team were 3-0 down on their way to a 4-0 defeat.
Martinez reportedly had to separate several of the senior members of the dressing room, but it was followed the same week with a meeting between all the players, where Barkero apparently reiterated his accusation against his four teammates, 'without proof', before indicating that he would ask to leave the club in the summer.
