Barcelona supporters have ruthlessly turned on one of their own following Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. La Blaugrana had taken the lead inside 20 minutes through Ferran Torres, but the Champions League holders dug deep to mount a come-from-behind victory in Catalonia.
On the face of it, there was little to separate the two heavyweights by the time the full-time whistle blew. The fact it took a 90th-minute strike from Goncalo Ramos to tip the balance shows there isn’t much daylight between two of the favourites for Europe’s biggest prize.
But in the wake of the loss, Barcelona fans have singled out one player for heavy criticism, with Dani Olmo firmly in the firing line after an underwhelming display from attacking midfield.
Dani Olmo Becomes Public Enemy Number One after PSG Defeat
Dani Olmo
Following his standout performances for Spain in their record-breaking triumph at the 2024 European Championship, former Bayer Leverkusen star Olmo returned to his boyhood club Barcelona, signing a six-year contract worth £208,283-per-week. Since then, the midfielder has featured 47 times for the Spanish giants, scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists.
His latest outing, however, has drawn the ire of supporters. In 72 minutes on the pitch, he completed just 75 per cent of his passes, succeeded with only one of three dribble attempts, won four of nine duels, failed to register a key pass, created no big chances - and squandered one himself. When he was finally hooked off for Marc Casado, one X user remarked:
"Thank God he’s finally off. Yet another disgraceful hall of shame performance from Dani Olmo in a big game."
While a second user commented: "Olmo is a completely clueless player. That boy has not performed since he was bought. A total joke," a third added: "The situation with Olmo is getting ridiculous. He showed more in the first two months at the club than he is showing now a year-and-a-half later. And it's not even about injuries anymore. What the hell is happening with this guy?" A fourth continued to put the Spaniard in the firing line by writing:
"He is one of the most disastrous signings in the club's history. It hurts me deeply that we made such a grave error in signing Dani Olmo, and the fact that we actually have to rely on him makes me sick. Take the loss this summer and sell him for whatever we can."
A fifth point of criticism concluded: "PSG might’ve had more injuries, but at least they played with 11 men. Diabolical performance from Olmo, the biggest waste of €60m I’ve ever seen. Now that Fermin is out, we better try something new instead of the 10."
It’s clear that something must change if Olmo is to avoid being sold in 2026. The midfielder has long produced flashes of brilliance throughout his career, but if he continues to fall short in the games that truly matter, Hansi Flick may have little choice but to move him on in favour of proven big-game performers - the kind of players Barcelona have often relied upon in the past to get them over the line in the Champions League.