‘If I were Flick’… Former Barcelona youth coach shares his thoughts on 20-year-old subsidiary gem | OneFootball

The development of youth talents at FC Barcelona is one that is always a priority. For the Catalan giants, it is that exact type of development that has given the club many of its greatest icons in the past. Continuing that legacy, Barcelona is still as determined as ever to give their young talents the room and faith they need to grow.

However, perhaps no one knows the young quarry players as well as the youth coaches that manage them daily both in training and in matches. For that reason, former Barcelona Juvenil coach Oscar Lopez was recently asked in an interview about his opinion on the most outstanding young talents in the team’s quarry.

As highlighted by SPORT, the former Barcelona youth coach did not hesitate much before highlighting a certain 20-year-old midfielder as his pick to excel both in the subsidiary and in the first team:

“Aleix (Garrido) is a spectacular player with incredible potential. Last year, injuries held him back, but once he gets some continuity, he’s a player who can read the game in an amazing way.”

Nicknamed the ‘little professor’, the Spaniard has a unique ability to read the field well and is always regarded as an extension of the coach on the pitch for the team. For Lopez, there are many things that make the youngster such an important player for the team:

“I like Aleix not only for what he brings on the field. His impact goes beyond the game, and he’s the perfect player for any coach because of what he brings to the locker room and his ability to manage the group.”

In the mind of the former Barcelona youth coach, there is simply no doubt that Aleix Garrido will be a first team player soon. Moreover, he thinks that Hansi Flick himself should not have any doubts about his quality either:

“He’s a talent, and we’ll see him in the first team shortly. If I were Flick, I wouldn’t have any doubts.”

When asked to highlight any other prominent youth players, Lopez did mention the name of Victor Barbera but ultimately came back to speaking about Garrido again:

“There are other players with great potential. I think Víctor Barberá could be an extraordinary striker, but without a doubt, of the players from the B team, I’d stick with Aleix – he’s something spectacular.”

That kind of praise can certainly go a long way, especially coming from a coach that has managed the likes of Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez, and several other prodigious young talents at Barcelona as well. Interestingly, Lopez also previously mentioned Marc Casado as a player who could become a leading figure at the club, and that prediction has been quite accurate so far.