The Dutch attacking midfielder finds himself unwittingly at the center of controversy in Germany. His coach even stepped up to defend him.
Xavi Simons is a significant asset that PSG is keeping up their sleeve for the near future. After a highly successful 2022/2023 season at PSV Eindhoven, the La Masia FC Barcelona-trained player went on loan to Leipzig this season. And in German lands, he’s shining.
He’s racked up 7 goals and 10 assists in 28 Bundesliga matches, clearly establishing himself as one of the best young talents on the continent. In Paris, they’re closely monitoring his progress. As exclusively revealed earlier this month, Luis Enrique has requested his return for the upcoming season. Luis Campos is also keen on finding him a place in the team for the start of Ligue 1 in August. Of course, he’ll need assurances of playing time, especially as Leipzig hopes to keep him for another season. Meanwhile, he’s stirring controversy in Germany. Simons, not adequately protected?
Don’t worry, Xavi Simons hasn’t done anything wrong. On the contrary. But he’s experiencing a situation somewhat similar to what Neymar went through in La Liga or Ligue 1, being closely marked by opponents and often the target of robust challenges. This led his coach Marco Rose to lose his temper during and after his team’s match against Wolfsburg. During a duel with Vranckx, Simons fell, and the referee gave him a yellow card for what he deemed a dive. Rose vehemently protested, even throwing himself to the ground.
After the game, he continued to defend his player: “Every week, there are issues with Xavi. He gets tackled hard. Every time he accelerates, they grab and hold him. In 90% of cases, he manages to break free and move forward. This time, in the 90th minute, there was clear intent to obstruct him. It was anything but a dive. And he gets a yellow card. It’s very harsh.” This reignites the eternal debate: should players with flair be better protected? Should those who provide entertainment on the pitch receive a certain level of protection from referees? Nevertheless, being at the heart of such controversies is generally a good sign for a player!
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