Leandro Bacuna has revealed he took some time off before Cardiff City’s victory over Middlesbrough as he reflected on the death of an international teammate.
The Bluebirds midfielder was one of the stand-out performers for Neil Warnock’s side at the weekend and has been a growing influence for the team after a mixed campaign in the second-half of last season following his £4m move from Reading.
Bacuna played against Derby County but was then given time off by manager Warnock following the player’s return from Haiti, where the Dutch-born Bacuna was on international duty for the Caribbean island of Curacao.
Goalkeeper Jarzinho Pieter died of a heart attack on the eve of the game and although the match went ahead, Bacuna – his country’s captain – admitted: “It was a bit of a tough time when I came back.
“I had a few days off this week – I spoke to the gaffer. It’s a bit weird because no-one actually knows what happened. We woke up in the morning and he was not at breakfast.
“Someone went to check on him and he was just there. He was a very good friend of mine. It is very sad to hear.
“It was very hard. We had to play the game that same day. We chose to play in his name and do the best we could. It’s just a sad story.
“Probably, it was his time. We have just got to help the family and keep strong as a national team.”
HISTORY! 🙌
Leandro Bacuna scored Curacao’s first-ever Gold Cup goal last night 🇨🇼pic.twitter.com/8LsyYIogMc
— Goal (@goal) June 22, 2019
Despite his upset over the death of his friend, Bacuna was able to deliver another strong display and believes he has now got more used to the style of football Warnock is seeking.
“In the beginning it was about getting used to a way of playing here and I think I have settled down.
“We have been showing some quality, showing the way the gaffer wants to play, but we need to keep it going.”