A Saudi Arabian side has responded to a Real Madrid fan’s attempt to offload left-back Ferland Mendy to the Saudi Pro League.
On Saturday Barcelona continued their pre-season tour of the United States by beating rivals Real Madrid 3-0 in Arlington, Texas.
Ousmane Dembele netted early before Fermin Lopez and Ferran Torres’ late strikes sealed the win.
Though the scoreline is suggestive of absolute dominance from Barcelona, Jude Bellingham was one of five Real players to strike the woodwork at the AT&T Stadium.
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Barca coach Xavi Hernandez said: "The result is a bit misleading. We shouldn't be overconfident. The result is very favourable but it doesn't mean we played a super match.
"It was a very even match in which Madrid also had many chances. There are many things to improve."
Despite Xavi’s stoicism, Real fans were naturally frustrated, with many taking to Twitter (X) at the final whistle to berate their side’s performance.
Indeed, Mendy’s performance in particular was singled out for criticism. The left-back, who has come under fire for his poor performances over the past 12 months, endured a torrid time until he was substituted upon picking up a hamstring injury.
After the game, a Real fan posted a picture of the Frenchman, captioned it “best player”, and tagged 15 of the 18 Saudi Pro League sides on Twitter. And one Saudi Arabian outfit responded to the sarcastic plea.
Al Fateh, who have Cristian Tello and Jason Denayer among their ranks, responded by tweeting: “Thanks, but keep him in your team.”
Mendy has been linked with a move away from Los Blancos this summer, with Fran Garcia expected to be the first-choice left-back for the upcoming season, following his move from Rayo Vallecano.
Despite panic among Real fans after the humbling defeat to Barcelona, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti played down the significance of the game.
Ancelotti said: "The result is the least important thing. It hurts to lose, but I'll keep the good things we did.
"We were good in terms of intensity, we had a lot of chances that didn't go in. Five [against the woodwork] in a game is quite rare, I don't think it has ever happened to me. But it's better if it happens in pre-season."
Topics: Football, Fan Reactions, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Ferland Mendy
Chris Byfield