Barcelona players drew suspicious looks for wearing bandages on their wrists. It could easily become a controversy.
On the 1st (Korean time), Barcelona drew 3-3 in the first leg of the semifinals of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League at home against Inter Milan. In this match, some Barcelona players drew attention by coming out with bandages on their wrists.
In response, Dr. Niko Mihic, who worked as the medical director at Real Madrid for seven years, noted that "it is not just a trend" and raised interest.
According to the Italian 'Tuttosport', that day, although Dr. Mihic did not mention the Barcelona players directly in an interview with the Spanish 'Marca', he expressed strong doubts about the purpose of wearing bandages.
Dr. Mihic stated, "I don't think it is just a trend," adding, "It is common to use the wrist to access veins more easily. However, I don’t know why they are trying to conceal that."
Dr. Mihic's remarks suggested that the act of Barcelona players wrapping bandages around their wrists during matches is not merely for injury protection or fashion, but for some other suspicious purpose. It implied a nuance of potential misconduct, such as doping allegations or concealment of medical practices.
He added, "It could really be tendonitis from playing a lot of table tennis, or perhaps they did not bribe Negreira," referring to the past 'referee bribery allegations' surrounding Barcelona.
Barcelona became embroiled in controversy for paying about 7.3 million euros (about 11.8 billion won) to former Spanish referee committee vice president José María Enriquez Negreira.
At the time, Barcelona claimed that the amount was merely a consultation fee. However, Spanish prosecutors noted the possibility that it was an inappropriate transaction intended to influence referee decisions and launched an investigation. The corruption charges were dismissed in 2024, but the financial crime investigation is still ongoing.
On the other hand, sports medicine specialist Antonio Mora explained, "Initially, it may have been due to injuries, but if it goes well, there is a tendency to continue wearing them as is," adding, "These days, it has spread like a trend. It has become a culture like tattoos," refuting Dr. Mihic's opinion.
Barcelona has not officially stated the reason for wearing the bandages. Mihic added, "If that is the case, they need to explain what purpose such actions serve."
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