Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara has been slammed in the Spanish press for his display in their national team’s bore draw Euro 2020 opener with Sweden in Seville.
Despite enjoying 85% possession, home side Spain’s trademark ‘tiki-taka’ short passing style had no cutting edge and they failed to break through their Scandinavian opponents’ stubborn defence.
Thiago had actually been left out of the starting line-up by coach Luis Enrique but replaced Manchester City’s Rodri on 65 minutes to earn his 43 rd cap.
Yet the Liverpool star still came in for fierce criticism from a Spanish outlet seemingly on the lookout for scapegoats.
Marca and their readers ranked the 30-year-old as the third-worst player to feature for Spain against Sweden, with only Ferran Torres and Alvaro Morata lower.
HITC quotes Marca as saying about Thiago’s display: “He entered in the second half.
“He wanted to be the protagonist but he alternated good circulation with erratic passes and wrong decisions.
“He did not show arguments to be a starter.”
Mischief making about Liverpool and their players seems to be a common pastime with the Spanish press of late.
Back in April, El Pais made the bold claim that Mohamed Salah had incurred the wrath of team-mates Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino and that the latter pair would “lead the faction” of stars in believing that their Egyptian colleague is “privileged.”
Meanwhile, following the Champions League quarter-final pairing of Real Madrid and Liverpool in March, AS declared of the six-times winners: “Madrid avoided the big coconuts in the draw.”
And who could forget the interview Salah himself gave with Marca on the eve of the Reds last eight showdown with Los Blancos in which he declared he might play in Spain “one day”, an explosive revelation that followed his now infamous December article with AS in which he refused to rule out a future move to La Liga.
