Philippe Coutinho has returned to Barcelona seemingly with high hopes of having a part to play. But he has received a harsh reality check from the club on the eve of the new season after his No.7 shirt was given away.
The Brazilian playmaker was handed the iconic shirt two seasons ago when Arda Turan left the club having initially worn No.14 when his Liverpool tranfer was completed.
When he left on loan for Bayern Munich last summer, the number remained vacant throughout the campaign with LaLiga rules preventing it from being given to someone else.
But, despite Coutinho’s return to the club, the number has been given away to Antoine Griezmann as Barcelona confirmed the news in a clip with basketball star Kevin Durant.
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