Ernesto Valverde faces the press ahead of Barcelona’s second game of the 2019/2020 La Liga season. The Catalans host Real Betis this Sunday, August 25. However, the main issue remains the neverending Neymar saga. The Brazilian is heavily linked with the Blaugrana return even though the transfer window shuts down on September 2.
Naturally, Valverde gets asked about Neymar. The boss refuses to make any conclusions about his future: “Neymar? There are always expectations during the transfer window. He belongs to another club and I can’t tell you more because I don’t know anything about this. We have to worry about tomorrow’s game more than anything else.”
Another much-talked-about topic at Barca is Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman failed to report for the medical tests last Saturday and travelled abroad instead. On Monday, he was diagnosed with a hamstring tear which rules him out for five weeks. Will there be any punishment?
Valverde refuses to discuss this issue either: “Dembele? I don’t want to talk too much about him… I’ll leave this topic without comment.”
What DOES Valverde talk about during the pre-match presser? Definitely, the upcoming game against Betis. That’s what he says: “Betis are a team that have many options to allow them to be towards the top of the standings, but we have the obligation to add the three points.”