Until recently, Ivan Rakitic was untouchable for Ernesto Valverde.
So much so that during last season he was consistently one of the Basque coach’s most used players.
His relentless box to box ethic certainly won admirers further afield than the Barcelona dressing room, and to that end, it was understandable why the Croat was one of Valverde’s most trusted lieutenants.
However, to the fan base at large, he was becoming the embodiment of Valverde on the pitch.
Every Cules Dream
De Jong - Arthur -Alena
Valverde's dream
Busquet - Rakitic - Arthur #SQUAD pic.