Samuel Umtiti heats in the previous of the Barça-Elche

THE GREATEST REFERENCERS HAVE BEEN RIGHT HANDED

The sad story of the left-handed central defenders at FC Barcelona

Published:23/09/2022 - 14:07h

Updated:23/09/2022 - 14:07h

Barça has had a deficit of left-handed central defenders for several decades. In fact, Eric Abidal was the last one that the club remembers with pride, being a pillar in the 'golden age' of Barcelona

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One of the details that more calls the attention in the staff of the FC Barcelona is that all his head offices are right-handed. Although Xavi Hernández understands that it is necessary to have a left-handed footballer inside the saga, the true is that the recent history of the club has not left good experiences with players of skillful left leg in the axis of the defence.

If we retreat almost a decade in the time, remains contrasted that Eric Abidal is the last defender with these characteristics that has showed a good performance, taking into account that it contested more commitments like side that in his main role. This by not going further back, when Frank of Boer dressed the elastic culé.

From these dates that the Barça does not have a central left-handed like indisputable, being Luis Enrique the last technician that had two in his staff. These were Jerémy Mathieu, by the one who paid 20 million euros, and Thomas Vermaelen, that had a grey path marked by the injuries. The French contested 91 official parties during his three campaigns in the team, whereas the Belgian only played 53 meetings and finished going out yielded to the Rome after two years in the Camp Nou.

Falls in hammered

In 2016 it would arrive the signing of Samuel Umtiti, one of the most promising defenders of the moment. To his 22 years arrived pertinent of the Olympique Lyon by 25 millions and kept a rhythm arrollador in his first two campaigns, showing a good rhythm of game and an own defensive solidity of an authentic 'crack'. In spite of this, everything would dispel after the World-wide of Russia 2018.

With 24 years and a future by in front, the French took the decision of not to operate the problems in the cartilage of his knee with the reason to arrive to the appointment mundialista. A tournament that would conquer, but that would leave him sequelas of which never could recover, remaining in the ostracism of the bench culé by his constant injuries and splitting in condition of loan to the Lecce Italian in past summer.

To 'Big Sam' joins him Clément Lenglet, by the one who the Barcelona paid the 35.9 'kilos' of his clause of rescission. It is the one who was more split on the terrain of game of all the mentioned, with a total of 160 apparitions. Nevertheless, his last years did not show the level required to be in the elite, what carried him to go out course to the Tottenham in search of minutes. Ronald Koeman, Carles Puyol, Rafa Márquez, Eric Abidal, Gerard Hammered and Javier Mascherano have been the big head offices of the last 30 years. All right-handed.

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