‘It was amazing’… Hansi Flick left impressed by Barcelona trio’s La Masia footage | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have a rather rich history of relying on their youngsters to always aid the first team. No matter the age, any player that proves himself to be capable enough can get a big opportunity. Even this season, Barcelona has clearly been dependant on their youth and for good reason.

However, their performances and high level should not take away from the fact that these players are still just youngsters. The expectations may be extremely high, but these youngsters are still at a stage where they are learning and growing with each passing game.

Even recently, as highlighted by SPORT, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick shared an interesting story during his press conference ahead of the crucial La Liga game against Rayo Vallecano at the Montjuic Stadium:

“Yesterday, I actually watched a video of when Cubarsí, Marc Bernal, and Lamine Yamal played at 11 years old. It was amazing. Watching them play at that age… Now it’s the same, they’re still scoring goals. Incredible. It was great to watch.”

Elaborating further, the Barcelona coach highlighted the enjoyment that the youngsters seemed to have playing the game and just how special La Masia is as well:

“They enjoy playing football. I love that they have hunger, you can see it in every game, and they have the quality to score goals. I really appreciate that. All the players from La Masia are special. Watching how they celebrated the goals back then and still doing the same now. They’ve known each other for a long time, the atmosphere in the locker room is palpable. They are great friends, and I love to see it.”

Flick also managed to talk about Pau Cubarsi, the 18-year-old Spanish defender who recently renewed his contract with Barcelona as well:

“Cubarsí is 18, and he looks like a very experienced player, but he’s still very young. He’s great at defending, with the ball, giving it his all… The quality is truly extraordinary, very high.”

However, while the praise is nice, the priority right now is the game against Rayo Vallecano. A golden opportunity for Barcelona to return to the top of the La Liga table, it is one that Flick’s team can simply not afford to let slip away no matter what.