Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig has not had an easy campaign this season after being marginalised by boss Ronald Koeman, but he has now had to deal with abuse from the club’s fans.
The central midfielder has featured in just nine minutes of first-team action for the club this season while a video is now circulating online of him being abused whilst in his car in the Catalan capital.
The video was shared by Cadena Ser, and shows a group pulling up alongside the midfielder – who is alone – at a set of traffic lights before abusing him.
📽 La paciència de Riqui Puig davant la mala educació dels altres…#FCBlive pic.twitter.com/zzkjv9jitO
— Què T’hi Jugues (@QueThiJugues) November 11, 2020
One of those filming the incident can be heard asking the 21-year-old why he has become so “arrogant” and “cocky” since becoming a first-team player at the club, while the midfielder politely smiled but did not respond to the criticism.
As the traffic light turned green, Riqui Puig drove off before those filming remarked how the sound of the car showed that they were right in their criticism.
Earlier this week, a poll in Marca showed 87 percent of 60,000 respondents believed the midfielder will leave the club on a loan deal in January, with just 13 percent voting that he would stay.
Back in September, Barcelona boss Koeman opened the door for the central midfielder leaving on a temporary basis this season as he is not in his plans, despite the exits of Arthur Melo, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal, although Miralem Pjanic did arrive at the Camp Nou.
Koeman said, as per Marca: “I speak with young people, they must play. They cannot be here without playing. I have told him that it is complicated and that there is a lot of competition. But he has a future here, although it depends on the player. I would recommend him to go on loan. At 21, young people must play.
The 21-year-old made three senior appearances for the Catalan giants in 2018/19 and is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents to come through their La Masia academy in years.
Puig made his La Liga debut on 13 April 2019, starting in a 0–0 draw against Huesca, and played 67 minutes, before starting in a 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in May.
The midfielder made his senior team debut with first team against Cultural Leonesa in a 4–1 home victory in the Copa Del Rey in December 2018, as he came on in the 55th minute and assisted the fourth goal. He described his debut as ‘a dream come true’.
It was not until Quique Setien’s appointment at the Camp Nou earlier this year that Puig enjoyed prolonged prominence in the club’s matchday squads as he made 12 appearances last season.
