By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Barcelona captain Pierre Oriola was the first member of the team to “break” his silence on the recent decision of the club to not let Thomas Heurtel on the plane back from Istanbul with the rest of the squad.
“It tastes bad but it’s a club decision, which is above players, managers, captains coaches, from everyone…. It’s the club that decides,” Oriola said to a podcast interview with La Resistencia del Palau. “There we have to listen to the club, we have to respect the decision and that’s the way it is.”
On Friday, December 22 and after the loss to Anadolu Efes, Heurtel, Heurtel wasn’t permitted to join the rest of the team on the plane back to Barcelona, following a decision by the club. The Blaugrana took that decision after they learned that the French guard was in contact with archrival club Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s decision caused numerous reactions by other players on social media and official institutions such as the EuroLeague Players Association and the Spanish Players Association. The club later said that
“It’s a complicated issue, which has affected us a lot, me more than others because in addition to the fact that Thomas arrived at the club the same year as me, he was my roommate and we have a very close relationship,” Oriola added.