FC Barcelona midfielder Gavi got injured during Spain’s 3-1 win against Georgia on November 19 (Sunday) and tension is rising between the Catalan club and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Gavi, 19, has torn his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the Spanish midfielder is set to be out for 7-9 months, confirmed the club in a press release.
As per Mundo Deportivo, a reliable Spanish news outlet, Barcelona is “frustrated” and “furious” with Spain’s manager Luis de la Fuente for playing Gavi in a dead rubber as the team had already qualified for the Euros.
"It is a very difficult moment for Gavi, Barcelona, the national team and for me, it seems as if we have lost the game," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told a news conference.
"This is the ugly part of football. I am very sorry. Let's wait for the tests to confirm the extent of the injury. This is the most bitter victory I have ever experienced in my life."
While Barcelona will get around €4-5m in compensation from FIFA and the club is desperate for any extra income, nothing can cover up the loss as one of their most important players will be out for the entire season.
It must be noted that an ACL injury is the most-deadly one in football especially for young players as the chances of getting back to your absolute best, specifically for midfielders and forwards, remain very thin because pace and the movement of the knee declines a bit after such an injury.
In 2014, Real Madrid’s rising star Jese Rodriguez — who was often called “The Next Ronaldo” by fans due to a similar playing style as the Portuguese — suffered a complete ACL tear and was out for nine months.
The youngster was scoring goals for fun and quickly emerged as one of the finest young prospects of that time but after undergoing surgery, he lost his old self and is now playing for an Italian club Coritiba at the age of 30.