BARCELONA were reportedly left fuming after Ivan Rakitic celebrated Sevilla’s Europa League triumph live on TV.
The Croatian spent three seasons with the Andalusian club, winning the same competition once, before signing for Barcelona in 2014.
Ivan Rakitic appeared on live TV to hail Sevilla’s latest Europa League win
The Barcelona midfielder leapt into his pool to celebrate
And Sevilla’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Inter Milan on Friday night sent the midfielder into a frenzy.
When interviewed live on TV from his home, a beaming Rakitic celebrated by jumping into his swimming pool.
The soaking star gave a thumbs up and laughed as a round of applause from the studio greeted his escapade.
However there were no friendly claps from the Camp Nou, where club bosses were far from pleased to see the length of their player’s celebrations.
Mundo Deportivo report that Barcelona were furious with Rakitic’s response to a fellow LaLiga side’s success.
A congratulatory tweet would have been perfectly acceptable, it is said, but the reaction was certainly not deemed fitting amid the Catalans’ own woe.
TOO SOON?
Just a week earlier, Barcelona had been dumped out of the Champions League after an 8-2 rout at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Alarm bells have been continually ringing around the club since then with coach Quique Setien and sporting director Eric Abidal leaving their roles, amid fears over Lionel Messi’s desire to stick around.
Rakitic did not play in the Lisbon thrashing having lost his place as a guaranteed starter under Setien.
With just a year left on his contract, the 32-year-old is potentially heading for a move with Sevilla reportedly an option.
A report from Sport earlier in the month suggested Julen Lopetegui’s side were “waiting for a sign” from Rakitic – which certainly appears to have now arrived.
Barcelona are said to be open to a sale with this their last chance to cash in on the four-time LaLiga winner.
Yet, alternative moves touted to Italy or Arsenal are described as potentially more lucrative for the club, leading to a potential stand-off if his desired move to Sevilla becomes a serious option.
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman says he doesn’t know if he has to convince Messi to stay
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
