Many players have stepped up and earned their place in Hansi Flick’s new-look FC Barcelona. With the appointment of the new manager came new opportunities, and certain players have grabbed them with both hands. However, while some Barcelona players always felt like guarantees, others were not the same.
While players like Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, and other franchise stars were seen as definite guarantees no matter which manager came in, other players have fought hard for their position. Names like Marc Casado and Pau Victor are obvious picks for those kind of players, but there is also another.
Inigo Martinez, now aged 33, was constantly seen being linked to a potential move away this summer. With several high-profile defenders available, such as Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, and even Andreas Christensen, many believed that the veteran Spaniard would not have a major role to play this season.
However, fortunately for him, injuries struck hard at Barcelona and injured two of those players early on. Yet, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, this enabled the Barcelona defender to turn his fortunes around and go from a bench-warmer to a starter overnight.
So far this season, he has also proven that he is not just a player filling in because of necessity. With his performances, Inigo Martinez has showcased exactly why Hansi Flick can count on him solely based on his quality and maturity as a football player.
With five starts out of five games, Inigo Martinez has enjoyed a lot of minutes so far this season. To better compare this campaign to his previous one under Xavi Hernandez, Martinez played a total of 1619 minutes with 16 games as a starter and 9 games as a substitute. Under Hansi Flick, however, he already has 450 minutes across the opening five games.
Even in the recent game against Girona, Martinez could be seen constantly correcting the defensive positioning of his fellow defenders. Given that he is older than almost all of them, with the average age of the Barcelona defense being 20.6 years old without considering him, it was only natural to see him be the leading voice there in a crucial game, further proving his importance to Hansi Flick’s side.
