Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was full of praise for young midfielders Marc Bernal and Marc Casadó as the two prospects look set to stay at the club after the January transfer window.
Both players had been linked with moves away from Barça this winter with Atlético Madrid interested in Casadó as Conor Gallagher’s replacement while Girona were hoping to bring in Bernal on loan with the promise of more minutes, but the two Marcs rejected the exit offers and made it clear they wanted to stay at the club.
Hansi Flick was asked about them at a press conference on Monday and gave a beautiful and thoughtful answer about their talent, professionalism, and just as importantly, how much they love Barça and want to be part of the club.
“[Bernal is] good with and without the ball, he knows how to find the best spaces and make the best decisions. You saw it against Copenhagen, in the second half, how much he’s improved defensively, physically he’s doing much better, he’s on another level physically and he’s a great professional, and he’s very good to watch.
“I think, as I said, Casadó is a fantastic professional, and so is Bernal. When you play for Barça and you’re a young player, patience is very important because you’re playing with the best players in the world at the best club. And that’s the most important thing. They each wear the colors in their hearts, and it’s beautiful to see. It’s a dream to see Casadó or Bernal and think about where they were playing a year or two ago and whether they could have imagined being here today. It’s a process; in football, everything can change in an instant. They’re playing for their club and they’re very professional, and I’m very grateful to every player who has that mentality, and they both do. I really love these players.”
It seems pretty obvious that Flick has learned from the Dro Fernández situation and that he values more than ever those who want to be at Barça no matter how much or little they are playing, and they will always give their absolute best every time they’re on the pitch.
Bernal and Casadó are willing to play the long game and wait for their chances, and both have the obvious necessary quality to perform well when those chances are given.
