Barcelona star Gerard Martín outlines objectives after Birmingham friendly: ‘Our goal is to win everything’ | OneFootball

Gerard Martin urged calm after FC Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Birmingham City, followed by a 3-2 defeat on penalties, insisting the result was less important than the progress made during pre-season.

The defender, who started the match at St. Andrew’s Stadium, acknowledged that Birmingham City’s superior fitness showed at times but believes Barcelona produced plenty of encouraging moments.

“They have more match fitness than we do. We’re only just starting, so that’s normal. But I also think we had many good moments. We’re a very young team right now, and we should be happy with what we’ve done.”

Building chemistry with Christensen

Martin also spoke positively about partnering Andreas Christensen in central defence, a pairing that had few opportunities to develop last season.

“Last year we didn’t get many chances to play together, but he’s a great player and it’s always enjoyable playing alongside him,” he noted.

Gerard Martin started alongside Christensen in defence. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Praise for Barcelona’s young talent

The left-footed defender reserved special praise for the academy and youth players who have joined the first team during pre-season.

After all, Hamza Abdelkarim starred for Barcelona with a brace last night while Ebrima Tunkara also showcased his immense potential.

According to Martin, the youngsters have handled themselves well despite facing a physically demanding opponent.

“We’ve competed really well, and I’m very happy with all of them.”

He admitted that this pre-season has felt unusual due to the absence of many senior internationals.

“It’s a bit of a strange preparation because there aren’t many of our usual teammates here.”

Ready to fight for his place

Asked whether he considers himself a first-choice player heading into the new campaign, Martin made it clear that places must be earned every day.

“You have to prove yourself in every training session and every match. I’ll keep fighting to make sure that’s the case.”

Ready to fight for his place. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

The defender also outlined the squad’s objectives for the season, stressing that Barcelona want to compete for every available trophy.

“Our goal is to win everything. We have a special desire to win the Champions League, but we also want to win every other competition.”

Martin finished by praising the conditions at St. George’s Park, saying the facilities and cooler weather have made preparation easier than training in the summer heat of Barcelona.

“The facilities are excellent, and it’s much more comfortable training here than in Barcelona. You don’t have to deal with the intense heat.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo