Hansi Flick: “It is normal that Lamine Yamal is not at the level, but we must find a solution”

The coach of FC Barcelona, ​​Hansi Flick, assured this Wednesday that it is “normal” that Lamine Yamal is not at his level, but that it is up to the coach himself to look for a solution to find his “best version”, and confirmed that Rodrigo Hernández will play his first minutes as a Barça player against Athletic Club.

“Lamine is a genius, after three weeks of vacation he has only been able to train for a few days. It is normal that he is not at the level, but we must find a solution to find his best version again. I really value the time he played because he participated in the first two goals and also gives us options,” Flick said about Yamal’s situation in the press conference prior to the league match against Athletic Club.

And the Spanish international seemed frustrated on the bench after being substituted in the duel against Elche last day, something that for the German coach is “normal because he wants to play.” “When you are champion you always look to win the next title and that is your attitude. All the players on my team are hungry to win the third consecutive league. We are prepared and we will fight every day to win it,” he added.

Likewise, Flick confirmed the possibility of Rodrigo Hernández ‘Rodri’ debuting with the ‘Blaugrana’ shirt. “Yes, we plan for Rodri to play. We also have Marc Bernal, but Rodri has more experience, he is a leader and with Pedri we will seek to control the game. For example, against Elche we lost a lot of balls very quickly and when Pedri came on he changed the game. Rodri is one of the best players and I am looking forward to him alongside Pedri,” he remarked.

However, the one from Heidelberg assured that Pablo Gavira ‘Gavi’ will not be present in the duel against Athletic Club despite feeling better. “The images showed a painful situation, but we hope he can return in a week,” he added.

Regarding Alejandro Balde, another of the big names in this market, Flick explained that the left back is committed “100 percent.” “He is part of the team, whether he plays or not I will decide tomorrow. He is very young, with potential and has improved a lot since I arrived. He comes from the farm and is fantastic because he has the Barça colors in his heart,” he continued.

“He must work hard because every year there are three or four players who come from La Masía and who also want to play. This is what his job is about, this is football and he must be committed and give everything for his career and for the team,” he stated.

Now, the German is only focused on the “present” and did not want to talk about the ‘Julián Álvarez case’. “We have made very good signings in this market, with a very clear objective. I have all my confidence in the team and we will have to manage some things, find solutions, but the quality we have is enormous and it is what we have to use,” he made clear.

“For me, the club and the sports director, Deco, are doing a great job, thinking about the future and what is best for the club for the next four or five years. That stabilizes the club and is what we want,” he said.

Furthermore, Flick made it clear that he does not need more players in defense, since the team is “good” in those positions. “We have other options with Eric García, Jules Koundé and Gerard Martín as centre-backs where they have done very well. Furthermore, Cubarsi is one of the best centre-backs, he played many games last season and this season he will play many games again. It is incredible to have a young player who has just won the World Cup at a high level,” he concluded.

All this in the prelude to the duel in which FC Barcelona will face Edin Terzic’s Athletic Club, whom Hansi Flick knows well. “He is a coach who has a clear structure, who likes to play easy football and that fits very well with the philosophy of Athletic Club,” he concluded.