Rashford, punished for being late to meeting with Barca
Forward Marcus Rashford was benched in the Barcelona vs. Getafe match due to being late for a team meeting. A source confirmed to Alofoke Deportes that the English player arrived two minutes late for the call-up.
Rashford, who was expected to start after his outstanding performance with two goals in the middle of the week in the Champions League, was ultimately not included in the starting eleven.
The call for the Getafe match was scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by an activation session at 11 a.m. Rashford, according to the source, showed up at 9:32 a.m.
Coach Hansi Flick applied an internal rule that prevented the English striker from starting the match. Instead, Raphinha, Ferran Torres, and Robert Lewandowski led the attack.Marcus Rashford came off the bench and had a good performance in the second half.Flick maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards tardiness, and it is common for players to be excluded from the team for being late to training sessions or meetings.
Raphinha was a substitute in the match against Valencia for the same reason, arriving late to the activation session the previous Sunday.
Other players like Jules Koundé and Iñaki Peña have also been sanctioned for breaking Flick’s rules in the past.
Rashford came on at halftime and had a standout performance in the second half, assisting the third goal in the 3-0 victory, following Torres’ brace in the first half.
The player is starting to adapt to Barça after arriving from Manchester United on loan for a season.
After not having registered any goal contributions in his first four matches, he has added two goals and two assists in his last three appearances.
Barça returns to action on Thursday, when they visit Real Oviedo, looking to maintain their undefeated start to the season in LaLiga.
