Pedri

During a period of recurring injuries, comments and rumours attributed his physical problems to nights out. Pedri subsequently stated that the claims were false and that he very rarely went out.

Following a penalty awarded for Alejandro Balde's handball against Levante, Pedri publicly compared the decision with an unpenalised handball by Tchouaméni the previous season and asked for the distinction to be explained.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Pedri was sent off in stoppage time of Barcelona's 2–1 Clásico defeat at the Bernabéu after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Aurélien Tchouaméni. The sending-off preceded a significant altercation between the two benches and several further sanctions.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

During the Spain–Germany Euro 2024 quarter-final, Pedri had to leave the pitch early following a tackle by Toni Kroos, with the injury ending his tournament. The fact that Kroos was not booked for the challenge fuelled controversy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Pedri stated that Barcelona trained much harder under Hansi Flick's new staff and that the physical improvement was visible during matches. His remarks were widely interpreted as criticism of preparations under Xavi, who was reportedly hurt by the episode.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

At 17–18, Pedri played a full FC Barcelona season, the Euros and then the Olympics, becoming emblematic of the debate over excessive workloads for young players. The press and FIFPRO documented an exceptional number of matches with very little recovery time.

State of the evidence

Documented