The youth of FC Barcelona have been the main engine that continues to drive the club forward even in desperate times. Even with all their financial limitations and restrictions, La Blaugrana’s dependence on their youth manages to shine. However, it is perhaps natural for people who have developed in Barcelona to acknowledge the value of La Masia.
Such was the case for Xavi Hernandez, now a former coach and player of the club, who made sure to put a lot of faith into the youth of Barcelona during his reign as head coach. However, there was a lot of skepticism regarding Hansi Flick in regards to the same approach, as many thought an outsider like him would not preserve the same values.
Yet, to most people’s pleasant surprise, Hansi Flick has ended up putting a lot of faith into the youth of Barcelona himself as well. Lamine Yamal remains as prominent as ever, Pau Cubarsi also continues to hold on, and many new faces have emerged and made their own mark.
Among them is Marc Casado, who definitely had his moments under Xavi Hernandez as well, but he is now given a much bigger responsibility under Hansi Flick. In fact, the youngster has even been compared to Flick’s former student Joshua Kimmich for his tenacity, versatility, and hunger as a midfielder.
Now, however, even Casado himself has given in to those comparisons as highlighted by SPORT. The 20-year-old La Masia talent spoke about it in a recent interview and even said that his teammates also compared him to the Bayern Munich star:
“I used to play as a ‘six’ and last season I started playing as a right-back, like him, and it stuck. People say I resemble him, and the joke has grown… Balde, during the pre-season, made a couple of comments about this, and people started the joke.”
Even suggesting that Hansi Flick’s acknowledgment of that comparison must ‘make it true’, but the youngster remains humble and instead simply looks forward to meeting the German star himself when his Barcelona side clashes with Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League:
“Now I’ll get to greet him in Munich. Oh no, we’re playing at home against Bayern. Will I say anything about the resemblance? No, I won’t.”
As for the team’s mentality under Hansi Flick, Casado is quite clear about the impact that the new German coach has had on this rather youthful Barcelona:
“When starting a new project, results are important to gain momentum and confidence from day one. Getting four out of four is crucial, as this is how titles are won… We really feel his confidence; he’s a very approachable coach and communicates a lot with the players.”
He even further highlighted the fact that Hansi Flick remains a very interactive coach: “All the players feel his confidence; he talks a lot and makes us feel close.”
Currently, Casado remains in Barcelona and continues to train back at the club while some of his teammates have gone on to represent their respective countries during this ongoing international break. However, his importance at the club level will surely get him his big international break someday as well.
