Cubarsi: Lamine is the best in the world and I could be there too.. Flick on Vinicius: Ask me in two weeks
Hours before the big European night in Istanbul, one of Barcelona’s stars made a statement few expected about Lamine Yamal, and about himself too, in a single sentence that lit up the press room.
In the same press conference, Hansi Flick was asked about Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior, and his answer was short, firm and carried a clear message just two weeks before El Clasico.
Young defender Pau Cubarsi spoke at Barcelona’s press conference on Monday at the RAMS Park stadium ahead of the clash with Galatasaray in the second round of the Champions League league phase, and said of his team-mate: “Everyone knows Lamine is the best in the world. He knows it, the others know it, and I could be there too because of the World Cup I had, but I’m calmer and he gets more media attention.”
Cubarsi also spoke about his own growth: “Maybe I’ve matured a little, this summer was an important point in my career. I’ve always had confidence since I was young, but maybe opponents respect me more now. Even so, they want to hurt me and I have to be alert.”
On facing Victor Osimhen, he said: “I played against Osimhen a few seasons ago and I hope he has changed a bit, but I approach it with the same seriousness. He is one of the best strikers in the world and we have to stay focused so he can’t hurt us.” He added that everyone knows the pressure of this stadium and that the first minutes will be difficult: “We don’t feel unstoppable, but we are in a good dynamic and we have confidence.”
Hansi Flick, meanwhile, was asked whether he would prefer Vinicius to play in El Clasico after his red card against Villarreal, and he replied briefly: “You can ask me in two weeks.”
When asked about Real Madrid’s criticism of refereeing, the German coach said: “I hope one day you learn that I never answer questions about other teams. We are about to play Galatasaray, let’s respect Galatasaray, the fantastic stadium and the atmosphere.”
Flick also spoke about his players’ hunger: “Of course we have that hunger, which I share with the team. Many of them won the World Cup and we checked whether they still have it, and yes, they do.” He added that every match is different and starts from zero, and that the team must be ready for one of the best atmospheres in the world.
Barcelona face Galatasaray on Tuesday at 9pm CEST. The Catalan side go into the game with a perfect record this season after eight straight La Liga wins and a 5-1 victory over Feyenoord in the opening round, while Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji are out injured.
