"Xavi is really giving me panic attacks" "What the hell is this?" - Barcelona fans brand Xavi a 'big clown' for including attacker in starting XI for Sociedad clash

Barcelona fans have been left furious with manager Xavi Hernandez after he named Ferran Torres in the starting lineup to face Real Sociedad on Sunday (August 21).

The Blaugrana are looking to bounce back from a frustrating opening game of the season. They were held to a goalless draw by Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou.

Ahead of the trip to Sociedad, Xavi made two changes to the team, with Frenkie de Jong starting in place of Sergio Busquets, who was sent off last week. Torres has also come into the side to replace new signing Raphinha, who endured a disappointing debut last week.

The winger has been a divisive figure since arriving from Manchester City in January for €55 million. Many fans feel he should be contributing more to the team.

The Spain international has scored just six times in his 25 appearances for Barca across competitions and has often been ineffective when given a chance. With the likes of Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele ahead of him, Torres must make the most of the opportunities given to him.

However, Barcelona fans remained unconvinced by the selection of the former City winger, as they took to Twitter to vent their frustrations:

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Riqui Puig mocks Barcelona winger Ferran Torres in leaked audio

Riqui Puig left the Catalonian giants this summer after nearly a decade at the club to join LA Galaxy.

Puig was once considered the next big thing at Barca, but has moved to MLS in search of first-team football. As reported by The Daily Mail, audio was leaked supposedly recorded during Puig's conversations with people at his driving school in February.

The midfielder can be heard mocking the recent arrival of Torres for being sold by Manchester City boss and Barcelona legend Pep Guardiola. Puig can be heard saying:

"Ferran Torres? Guardiola didn’t even want him. He played 12 matches last year."

Torres struggled to nail down a regular starting place at the Cityzens and only spent 18 months at the Etihad Stadium. The winger faced fierce competition at the club from the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling.

He made only 43 appearances across competitions for the Cityzens, scoring 16 goals and providing four assists.

At the time of writing, the Barcelona-Real Sociedad clash is well poised at 1-1 after 20 minutes.