"He stabbed him with a dagger": physiotherapy expert reveals how Vitinha caused Olmo's injury ahead of the Clasico
Enforced absence
Barcelona's defeat at the Parc des Princes was not merely Hansi Flick's side's first setback of the season. It also carried a painful blow that could cost the club dearly before the decisive week.
Dani Olmo limped off in the 27th minute, clutching his left thigh muscle in pain, with Fermin Lopez coming on in his place. The scene further complicated life for a Barcelona side already drained, having endured a week of air travel disruptions caused by bad weather while trying to focus on the Clasico, and with Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen all absent through injury.
This morning, Barcelona confirmed the extent of the damage. A muscle injury will sideline Olmo for roughly a month, ruling him out of crucial matches, most notably the Clasico against Real Madrid this Sunday, then Aston Villa on 3 November, and Atletico Madrid on 8 November.
A shocking diagnosis: Vitinha's dagger
Antonio Perez, known by the nickname "Fisioteduca" and the most famous physiotherapist collaborating with the DAZN network, delivered a shocking diagnosis of the incident, reported by the Spanish newspaper "Sport".
Perez said: "Dani Olmo suffered a direct blow. Vitinha caused his injury when he lunged his body towards him, stabbing him with a dagger in the inner thigh muscles."
He added, explaining: "Dani Olmo was literally injured at the hands of Vitinha. He suffers the injury as a result of a powerful blow because the Portuguese player's knee is sharp as a dagger. Vitinha bends his leg, and when he tries to use his body excessively, he in fact causes a tear in the inner adductor muscle."
A fragile player and the blow was the final straw
The expert did not absolve the player himself of responsibility, pointing to Olmo's physical characteristics as a decisive factor.
He said: "There are players for whom this injury could have been avoided, but we are talking about Dani Olmo, who has a long history of muscle injuries. He is an extremely delicate player during long periods of play when fatigue sets in."
Olmo has lived a recurring medical nightmare since his return to Barcelona from Leipzig in August 2024: a right hamstring strain in September, a thigh strain in November, a soleus muscle strain in January 2025, a fibrous injury in the right adductor muscle in March, another strain in the right soleus muscle in October, and a dislocation of his left shoulder in December.
Perez believes Vitinha's blow in the 27th minute "was the straw that broke the camel's back" for a player at the peak of his form. Olmo had broken his goalscoring drought in the last match against Real Betis, only for the Portuguese challenge to send him back once again to the treatment room.
