Dro Fernandez to PSG, Deco hits out with strong—and perhaps unfair—words?

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·12 February 2026

Dro Fernandez to PSG, Deco hits out with strong—and perhaps unfair—words?

Deco, sporting director of FC Barcelona, commented in Sport on the departure of Dro Fernández (18 years old) to Paris Saint-Germain. The speech aims to be institutional, but reveals a persistent frustration, between reminders of the club's "efforts" and emphasis on the circumstances of a poorly secured deal.

Deco "There is no club like Barça"

"He decided to leave the club. There is no club like Barça, and he is not the only one to have left. We spend two or three hours a day with the players, but we are not in their heads. We tried to do our best for Dro at all times. He was a player who wasn't playing in the junior team and we tried to give him playing time because we thought he could make a difference."

Deco "He earned his place in the first team because Flick appreciated him"

He earned his place in the first team because Flick appreciated him. He is a player who could be in the junior A team and play in the Youth League, as that is appropriate for his age. However, I think this news has taken on such magnitude because he was part of the first team. It's a case among many others. He had a clause and we failed to renew his contract in time. We had an agreement with his agent that we would meet to negotiate his renewal when the player turned 18. After that, things accelerated and there's nothing more to say."

Deco "Flick's sadness? It's normal"

Flick's sadness? It's normal. The coach is with the players daily and he likes them. He is very close to the young footballers. But I think it's a normal reaction from someone who was close to him, who saw his potential and wanted to protect him. But that's football, that's how it is."

What stands out is not that Deco is annoyed: it's human, and even logical when a club feels it has "supported" a young player. What catches attention is this little game of "we do everything right... but him." On one hand, he insists that the institution is greater than an individual choice; on the other, he dwells at length on the player's choice, as if to requalify it as a whim.

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However, his own explanation mostly tells another story: a clause, a renewal not completed in time, and a deal that escalates as the player comes of age. Result: by commenting on the obvious, Barça gives the impression of pleading a lost cause... against an 18-year-old kid.

And that's where the irony becomes cruel: if "that's football," as Deco says, then the greatest club is not the one that continuously explains why a young player left... but the one that absorbs, corrects its contract timings, and moves on to the next. Because yes: even with all its history, FC Barcelona is not automatically everyone's number one choice.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.