Pedri talks Xavi, Yamal, Barcelona youngsters, injuries, Champions League

In the lead-up to Barcelona’s game against Athletic Club this evening, Pedri spoke to the media about Barça’s chances of retaining the league title.

Pedri also talked about the Champions League, along with injuries that have haunted his career in the recent past.

Before all of that, though, Pedri made no mistake in praising Xavi Hernandez and laying out his importance at Barcelona.

“Xavi, whether as a coach or a legendary player for the club, is a role model for everyone. During the two years he led the team, a lot of things changed and we won the League,” he said (h/t FCB World).

“As a coach, Xavi gave me a lot of help, especially as he is a legendary player in the club and a midfielder like me. He gave me a lot of advice regarding organizing the team’s attacks. In general, I benefited greatly from his experience and guidance,” the player added.

When asked about Barcelona’s chances of winning the league and the Champions League this year, Pedri sounded rather skeptical about the latter.

“I think we have the opportunity to compete for both championships. Relatively speaking, La Liga is more difficult, but at the same time, it is longer, so anything can happen. I agree with what the president said, we will work hard to win both tournaments,” he said.

Barcelona are currently third in the league table, nine points behind league leaders Real Madrid. But they have the chance to bridge the gap to six points, if they can secure three points against Valencia this evening.

The young midfielder went on to talk about injuries and his experience in dealing with them over the past few years.

“Injuries are one of the worst things in football, and because I dealt with this torment, I did a lot of activities to reduce them. I took up Pilates training and went to the gym more,” he said.

When asked if footballers are playing way too many matches these days, the midfielder issued a rather diplomatic answer.

“I played a lot of matches at the age of 18 and felt tired, but at that time I was excited to participate. It was the first time that I had the opportunity to represent the club and the national team in many important matches. Now I consider this a valuable and unforgettable experience,” he said.

“I agree that there are a lot of matches today, and the players are enduring a lot of physical pressure. But at the same time, we prepare more for this and make an extra effort to ensure that our physical condition is at its best,” he added.

Pedri went on to talk about some of the key aspects of the team. He also highlighted the major change in Barcelona’s performance this year compared to the last.

“I think the biggest problem the team faced this season lies in defence. We scored a lot of goals and had an offensive level similar to last season, but due to defensive problems we lost several points,” he said.

Talking about himself, Pedri added, “I am still a young man. Although I have gained a lot of experience in matches, including making decisions and making changes in the context of the match, I see that there is still a long way to go. I think I will become a really mature player after spending a few more years at the club.”

The Spaniard, though, is confident of being able to help the younger players on the team. “I will do my best to help them, and express my support for everything they do,” he explained.

“I will make them feel comfortable in this team, and when they need any advice or have any questions, they can ask me. I hope the whole dressing room is like one family. When they have problems and need my help, I will do my best to help,” he added.

The Spaniard even had advice for his fellow teammate Lamine Yamal, who has enjoyed meteoric growth over the past 12 months.

“I advise him to keep calm. Participating with the first team at this age is a wonderful thing. He is an excellent player, but if he does not perform well sometimes, there is no need to worry, but he must continue to work hard. I will give him all the support he needs. He must continue to work hard and enjoy his football,” Pedri told Yamal.

Pedri was also asked about playing as a left-winger. He called this position ‘quite interesting’ as it allows him to create more space and danger for the opposition’s defence.

“The team has a lot of midfielders, and as a player, I can run a lot, I can create spaces in attack. Of course, playing as a winger is different from playing as a midfielder, but I find this position interesting as I can create chances and create more danger,” the youngster said.

Finally, Pedri was asked to name one Asian player, who he really admires. The Barcelona midfielder did not even hesitate in naming former La Masia starlet Takefusa Kubo, even revealing that he has a shirt of Kubo in his house.

“Kubo. He performs excellently in La Liga and has previously played for Barcelona. I keep his shirt in my house,” he said.