Flick talks Gavi, Fermin, Bernal, Szczesny ahead of Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona – ‘His heart belongs to Barça’ | OneFootball

Barcelona will be aiming to record their third win of the 2025/26 season when they take on Rayo Vallecano away at Estadio de Vallecas on Sunday night.

The Blaugrana go into the game on the back of wins over Mallorca and Levante and will be hoping to enter the international break with nine points from three games.

Leading up to the match, the headlines have been dominated by the news of Gavi’s injury and the future of Fermin Lopez, and naturally, questions about the same dominated Hansi Flick’s pre-match press conference.

On Fermin Lopez

Addressing the future of Fermin, the Barcelona manager stated that he had spoken to the young midfielder and hoped he would stay.

“For the moment, he’s here. I’ve spoken to him and I’m convinced he’ll stay. I’ll be very happy when the transfer window closes,” said Flick.

Continuing on the topic, he added: “I told him my opinion, but I’ll keep it to myself. There are people who know more about what’s going on. It’s a business, but I’m focused on my team. He has shown many times how important he is to us. He can help us a lot.”

On whether he believes the transfer window should close before the season starts, he noted:

“It’s an interesting topic, but I can’t change it. It is what it is. It’s two more days and we’re seeing the finish line.”

On being further pressed about Fermin’s situation and whether it had to do anything with the club’s finances, Flick replied: “I don’t know. I’m focused on the team, I’m not interested in the financial situation.

“My focus is on the team, and we have a fantastic team. Everyone knows I’d like to keep the players we have. You can ask other people.”

Flick expects Fermin to stay. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Discussing how Fermin had been in training amidst all the speculation, he added: “At the beginning of the week, he was different to how he is now. I see him as more focused. For me, he’s in a good place.”

Talking about the youngster’s role in the team and his position, Flick said: “Fermín is a very aggressive player, with and without the ball. He’s very good at running into space behind the defence and creating space.

“He’s a great player. He scores goals and provides the final pass. When he’s in the right frame of mind, he’s brilliant. He loves Barça, and I don’t want to say too much more, but his heart belongs to Barça.”

On Gavi and the rest of the squad

Regarding Gavi’s injury, Flick stated that Barcelona believe the 21-year-old will be back for the Valencia game after the international break.

“The plan is for him to be available for Valencia. We’ll see how he progresses. He’s better today than he was yesterday. We’re positive,” he remarked.

While Barcelona have registered Gerard Martin ahead of the game, question marks remain over the availability of Wojciech Szczesny and Roony Bardghji.

When asked about their pending registrations, Flick kept it short, saying: “We’ll wait and see.”

Talking about Marc Bernal and his return from injury, Flick provided an update by saying:

“He has made great progress and it’s good to see. He is much stronger than last year. He’s close, but he’s not quite there yet. The decision is up to the doctors. He’s too young to rush his return.”

On Rayo Vallecano and other topics

As for tomorrow’s opposition, Rayo Vallecano, and the kind of game that Barça can expect, the German tactician said:

“Rayo did a great job. Their work was fantastic. They’re very intense in attack and defence, it’ll be a tough game. We know the pitch isn’t that big. They’ll be a great opponent.”

Leading up to the game, there have been a lot of concerns about the pitch at Vallecas, and Flick addressed the same, saying:

“We can’t change it. We have to play the same as Rayo. It’s not something we can change.”

Gunning for a third win. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

On how he is approaching the game tomorrow, he added: “Every game is different and, of course, the intensity is very high.

“We have to play with confidence, and we have players who know how to play one-on-one. We’ll have to have possession, but also take advantage of the spaces.”

On the difference between his first and second years at Barcelona, he noted: “Last season, everyone wanted to adapt to our style, and this season is no different.

“Every match in La Liga is different, and it’s not easy to prepare the team well. La Liga is a very strong league. Everyone knows how to play football, and it’s good to see. Rayo are a fantastic team and they know how to play.”

Discussing the UEFA Champions League draw, which has pitted Barcelona against some tough opponents, including PSG and Chelsea, Flick remarked:

“For a team like Barça and other clubs, the goal is to win the Champions League. It’s the best competition, and this new chapter of the Champions League is a lot of fun.

“I watched the draw with Marcus Sorg. There are some big games and they’re all different, but we’re happy to be playing in it. Last season we played a fantastic semi-final, but this season we’ll give it our all.”

On whether he expects any late transfer moves, Flick noted: “I can’t answer that question because I don’t know. If you follow the transfer market, it’s crazy. We’ll see what happens.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo