FC Barcelona had quite a challenging start to La Liga awaiting them, but the Catalans have won the two difficult matches against Valencia and Athletic Club. Flick could not have asked for a better start to his tenure at Barcelona.
The German tactician was naturally very happy with his team’s performance in the game against Athletic Club. After this game, Flick appeared in front of the press to comment on the game and other aspects related to the team.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, Pedri was one of the players that the German picked out for specific praise. The midfielder was once again at his best in this game, as he impressed with his role in the middle of the pitch, creating outlets for his attacking teammates and helping his team retain possession. Regarding the Spanish midfielder, the Barcelona manager said:
“I’m really happy because, throughout the entire match, we played very well. I’m also happy for Pedri; you can see what he brings to us—the passion, the calmness. It’s really good to have him because now we have a different rhythm.”
There are no doubts about Pedri’s abilities, but his physicality remains an issue as he has frequently suffered some long-term injuries. However, he seems to have gotten back to his full fitness for the start of the season, and Flick also thanked the medical team for making this possible:
“Thank the team, the physios, the entire technical staff because they’ve done a great job with Pedri—fantastic. He’s recovered from his last injury and is almost one hundred percent fit.”
Lastly, Flick also highlighted the specific ways in which Pedri helps the team in the midfield: “Today and in Valencia, he helped us maintain balance, protects the ball, brings passion, good combinations… It’s fantastic to have him on the field and improving.”
Barcelona fans are already used to seeing Pedri playing at such a high level despite his rather young age. It is clear that he has also fully impressed Flick with his performance in these two matches. Now, he only has to ensure his fitness for the entire season to help Barcelona get some more silverware in their cabinet at the end of the season.
