Barcelona director praises influential winger – ‘He’s dynamic, expressive, and he infects the team’

Barcelona’s season has now taken a turn for the better after a relatively rough start, and injuries have had a major role to play in the same.

Given the financial constraints, however, the team were not able to add substantial depth to the extent that they would have liked, and Hansi Flick is doing a great job at managing with the resources he has.

Joan Laporta and Deco, however, remain alert to the opportunities on the market to strengthen the team in January or in June.

Deco reflects on differences between last season and this one

Speaking on Que t’hi jugues (h/t SPORT), Barcelona’s sporting director Deco spoke on how he saw the team’s performance this season, especially in light of how they have faced repeated injury blows from day one.

“It’s not just those who were missing; last year we had almost everyone in front almost always available, behind we had solidity because the centrals were always Cubarsí and Inigo; in the midfield only Gavi was absent (long-term).”

Elaborating on how this season is different, the former player said,

“And this year it has been the other way around, we had more difficulties in front, in defence and in the centre of the field.”

“In all the departments, we had to adapt, and the quality of the game is not so fine, but we have overcome the difficulties,” he added.

Praise for Raphinha

Deco then spoke highly of Raphinha whose return to the dynamics in recent weeks has completely turned Barcelona’s form around.

“Each one has their own characteristics. Raphinha is dynamic, expressive, and he infects the team and it shows. But we have many leaders for different times.”

“He knows what he controls and we know that the key of last year is what we have seen against Atletico: adapt, fight, help us,” he added on what the Brazilian brings to the table.

Finally, he spoke on the various players in the squad who can play in multiple positions.

“There are many players who adapt to other different positions such as Gerard [Martin], Eric [Garcia] and Dani Olmo himself playing from ‘8’.”

At the end of his interaction, Deco was asked if he saw his role to be more important as a player in his time or as a director today, to which he said,

“I think in that one [as a player] because in Rijkaard’s it was more locker room and I already came with experience. I arrived at the moment that a team was being made.”

“Our captain, Puyol always said that if he didn’t win, he would leave. Me, Rafa [Marquez], Samuel [Eto’o], Ronnie [Ronaldinho], everyone had to put their leadership in their own way, and I put mine there.”