Inigo Martinez is one of the players who has taken the biggest leap since the appointment of Hansi Flick as the head coach of FC Barcelona. After a first season hampered by injuries, the Spanish defender is proving to be an excellent player in the backline as the Blaugranes miss players like Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen due to injuries.
Inigo Martinez has been performing at a very high level since the start of the season, but last night was particularly special for him as he scored his first goal in the blue and garnet shirt. He also gave the assist for Lewandowski’s second goal on the night.
As SPORT has reported, the Spaniard also spoke to the media after the end of the match and revealed what the German coach had told him during the summer:
“I did the entire pre-season with Flick; he instilled confidence in me and told me to stay. With that trust from the coach, one is able to contribute and give 200%, and it’s showing; I feel very comfortable and energetic.”
There were doubts about the former Athletic Club defender’s continuity at Barcelona during the last summer transfer window, especially as it looked like Barcelona had a surplus of options in the center of the defense, and Martinez could be sold to obtain a quick profit and lighten the club’s wage bill.
However, this start of the season has already made clear what a colossal mistake it would have been to let go of the experienced center-back, especially as Barcelona are missing other leaders of the backline like Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen, while Eric Garcia has also had to play some times in the midfield.
Thus, Hansi Flick’s confidence in the 33-year-old defender is already paying dividends, and hopefully, this will remain to be the case as the season progresses.