The young Spanish striker finds Real Madrid with FC Barcelona this Thursday in the Copa del Rey semi-final. While he has been going through a complicated period for several months, this match is the perfect opportunity to shine once more.
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Louis Mouret
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You might think he lost everything. In 2020, Ansu Fati dazzled the whole of Europe before a knee injury sidelined him for almost a year. After a last season also truncated by injuries, he finally left behind his physical problems. However, moments of joy are rare this season for the young striker (20 years old). It seems a long time ago when the number 10 blaugrana made the crowds rise at each match at the Camp Nou.
A breath of fresh air, the new nugget out of La Masia, the next phenomenon. So many labels attached to the back of Ansu Fati which, although very flattering, were deserved in view of his talent. Heir to Lionel Messi’s mythical number 10, the 2022/2023 season was to be that of real confirmation. Finally it looks more like an endless descent into hell that is accompanied by a terrible loss of confidence. And he doesn’t seem the only one to have lost it.
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Very limited playing time
With an ambitious recruitment campaign last summer, FC Barcelona coach Xavi found himself with plenty of attacking solutions at his disposal. At the start of the season, the Catalan gradually tried to integrate Ansu Fati into the eleven, before resolving to prefer Raphinha to meet the needs for immediate results. Ansu Fati has lost the trust of his coach and part of the public.
Very often on the substitutes’ bench, the Spaniard has only played 1,250 minutes in 34 games, an average of just over 30 minutes per game this season. Not enough for a young player who needs to pick up the pace. This lack of time did not allow him to prove to Xavi that he had regained all his qualities. Despite four consecutive starts during the month of January, the goal failure has been going on since October 20 in La Liga and is starting to pose a problem.
Too much pressure
This bad patch is not a surprise for Bojan Krcic. The former great promise of Barça might not bear the pressure put on his shoulders in Catologna and never had the career that was predicted for him. A story that seems to repeat itself:I lived the case of Ansu Fati… You generate a lot of enthusiasm at a time when the club needs a ‘product’ from farmhousehe explained to Mundo Deportivo.
«When you start playing very well, everything goes well, but when you have to deal with something like injuries, that’s when you have to work hard emotionally and mentally. You must have the tools to overcome this challengeadded the Croatian. For his part, Ansu Fati seems to have trouble overcoming this ordeal and frustration seems to have taken over the pleasure of playing.
After the match once morest Manchester United, he admitted that the support of the fans is essential to him: “Sometimes I think of the Camp supporters Nou, who support me so much, and I’m not able to give back everything they give me. I’m very grateful and happy to be in the club I want.” On the occasion of the King’s Cup semi-final first leg once morest Real Madrid this Thursday, Ansu Fati has the perfect opportunity to thank them and above all, to shine once more.
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