It’s not a happy ship at Barcelona just now, with both on and off-field issues dominating the narrative.
Ronald Koeman can’t catch a break, with the manner of the Catalan club’s defeat against Bayern Munich seeing certain board members apparently lobby president, Joan Laporta, regarding the manager’s immediate removal.
With their financial situation perilous to say the least, Barca are teetering on the abyss and it requires everyone to pull together.
First-team star, Sergi Roberto, is just the latest to be doing just that, and along with team-mates such as Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, their selflessness may be what saves the club from their current predicament.
According to Spanish daily, MARCA, Roberto will sign a two-year contract extension next week, and on reduced wages.
Roberto’s importance to the side can’t be understated, despite the fact that he was whistled and booed after being substituted in the Bayern game.
Whether as a right-back or attacking midfielder, the player always gives his best to the team, and perhaps his only fault, if it can be called that, is that he is too versatile and able to play most roles with the same aplomb.