Former Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu has hit out at media criticism aimed at La Blaugrana centre back Clement Lenglet.
The ex French international, who played at Barcelona between 2014 and 2017, before joining Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, claims the negativity towards Lenglet is unfair, but not surprising.
Lenglet conceded a late penalty in Barcelona’s 1-1 La Liga draw at home to Cadiz, which cost them valuable ground in the title race.
The former Sevilla star reportedly left the Camp Nou in tears with widespread criticism of his mistake across Spanish media sources in the following days.
“In the past at Barca, Xavi or Cesc would speak to you after a mistake and tell you that you would do better next time and things like that,” he told an interview with RAC1, reported via Mundo Deportivo.
“I think this is missing a bit in the Barca dressing room, you have to learn that it works like this, it can be bit lonely, but you have to train more than anyone else and that’s it.
“I felt a little lonely in the Barca dressing room, nobody was with me, for me it is not club football.
“In my last year I had a bad time, I felt because of me we lost in Turin (3-0 in the first leg of the 2016-17 Champions League quarter finals), they killed me, but it’s eleven players in a team.”
Lenglet is unlikely to be dropped by Ronald Koeman for Barcelona’s forthcoming games, due to injury concerns over Gerard Pique and a lack of depth in defensive options.
Barcelona face a midweek home game against struggling Elche, as they look to make up ground on Real Madrid, followed by a crunch weekend trip to Sevilla.