No one can blame Arthur for his actions: Barcelona legend Rivaldo

Brazilian legend Rivaldo believes the board decided to exclude Arthur from the squad as they doubted their commitment to the Catalan club.

He concedes it's sad to see Arthur's spell at Barca ending in such an unpleasant way.

"No one can blame Arthur for his actions," Rivaldo told Betfair while discussing the midfielder's alleged decision not to play for Barcelona again.

He explained: "Obviously, the management and the coaches decided that Arthur should not be a part of the team, because after the Juventus deal, he might not give his 100%.

"I am sure Setien wanted Arthur to still be available to him, because he is one of the best and he would be useful."

The Brazilian concluded: "It is sad to see it end like this. This is certainly not what Arthur wanted when he left Gremio for Europe."

Arthur has reportedly gone on strike as he wants Barcelona to terminate his contract. The Brazilian will join Juventus next season as they paid €72m plus €10m in add-ons for his services.