Ibiza away on a Wednesday night seems like the ideal scenario for a lot of people, but it’s rarely associated with football.
That could change tonight as Ibiza take on Barcelona in the Copa del Rey. Realistically they shouldn’t have a shot but the competition has been restructured so these fixtures are now just over one leg, so you never know.
READ MORE: Barcelona threaten to sideline talented youngster if he doesn’t sign new contract
Quique Setien enjoyed a winning start at the weekend as his team eventually overcame Granada 1-0. They had a ridiculous amount of possession but still needed to rely on Lionel Messi to get the goal.
The Argentine doesn’t play tonight, but it’s still a very strong line up. One player who continues in the midfield is Ivan Rakitic, but his inclusion hasn’t gone down well with a section of the support again:
Rakitic noooooooo
— ? (@RiquiPuigSnZ) January 22, 2020
Rakitic?????
— mido (@masrmido2001) January 22, 2020
Rakitic again? Wtf is going on man ??
— ? (@C4rlesAlena) January 22, 2020
RAKITIC OUT OF MY CLUB U CLOWNS
— Thiem (@PrimeFdj) January 22, 2020
Setien why Rakitic after the last match??
— 25 [MellowSaviour] ? (@25TheLiquor) January 22, 2020
Why rakitic ???
— Synthese (@Synthesee) January 22, 2020
Every club has a scapegoat of some kind and it seems that Rakitic is the man who gets targeted by the fans. He looked like he might be on the way out this month after struggling for first team action for most of the season.
It’s also possible that Barca are just playing him now to try and bump up his sell on value, but if he starts to gain the trust of the new coach then the fans will need to accept him for the rest of this season at least.