La Liga side Mallorca have suspended midfielder Dani Rodriguez and removed him as captain after he publicly criticized coach Jagoba Arrasate for leaving him out against Real Madrid.
The 37-year-old, who has been at the club since 2018, did not feature in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu. After the match, Rodriguez voiced his frustration at being overlooked in favour of new signing Jan Virgili, who had only arrived from Barcelona days earlier.
“Mallorca has suspended the employment and salary of the player Dani Rodriguez. The club also strips the footballer of the captaincy with immediate effect,” the club announced in a statement on Wednesday.
Rodriguez, writing on Instagram, said:
“It hurts that a player who just got here, with one training session, has the chance to play ahead of team-mates who have been here for years defending this shirt with sweat and labour, putting the club above everything. Something like this sends a horrible message to the dressing room, that work, delivery and loyalty don’t matter.”
Rodriguez has made over 200 appearances for Mallorca, playing a key role in their return to the Spanish top flight.
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