New Barcelona head coach Xavi has introduced a strict code of discipline at the club, with Ousmane Dembele being punished for arriving just three minutes late to training.
The club legend has wasted little time stamping his authority on the squad, only being unveiled at Camp Nou on Monday.
During his maiden press conference as Barcelona boss Xavi stressed the importance of discipline.
"Well it's just to follow some rules like in any company, like in any club. When there have been rules in our dressing room, things have gone well, and when not, they have gone badly," he said.
"That's really clear, so yeah, we'll implement rules and they will have to follow them."
He has been true to his word too. Earlier in the week he cancelled a Gerard Pique TV interview to keep him focussed on on-field activities and according to the Daily Mirror, this is part of a wider code of discipline players must now adhere to.
One of Xavi's rules is that players must arrive at the training ground 90 minutes before each session starts. Dembele, who has struggled with his timekeeping in the past, failed to do this on Friday morning.
The session started at 10:00am and the Frenchman did not clock in until 8:33am, making him three minutes late. As punishment for his tardiness, Dembele was hit with a fine.
Xavi does not just expect his players to arrive on time either; he has similar standards for his coaching staff. His backroom team are all instructed to arrive two hours before each session starts so they can conduct individual talks with players before the group training begins.
Whether this new emphasis on standard results in success on the pitch remains to be seen. Barcelona are currently ninth in La Liga, nine points adrift of leaders Real Sociedad.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Ousmane Dembele fined by Xavi for reporting three minutes late to Barcelona training.
Source: www.90min.com