Barcelona star Pedri has agreed with manager Hansi Flick that a collective spirit is vital for their success this season, after the German manager criticised his team’s egotistical play following a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano. The Blaugrana struggled to cope with Rayo in Vallecas, and had goalkeeper Joan Garcia to thank for their point.
One of the major talking points was that some of the game was carried out with VAR, after the stadium lost connection with the VAR control room.
“It’s strange, it’s the first game I’ve seen where the VAR didn’t work and I think it needs to be improved to make LaLiga much more serious,” he told Onda Cero, via Sport, echoing the thoughts after the game of teammate Frenkie de Jong.
“I’ve seen the play once or twice. On the pitch, I’m right behind him and I hear a kick. I asked him if it was a penalty, and he said yes. I don’t know if VAR was there at the time. Maybe they would have called him over, and he would have made the decision, or not. As it’s not a black or white play, they might have called him over and he would have made the decision on the screen.”
Pedri on Flick’s comments – ‘Last year we didn’t focus on individual success’
In terms of the Barcelona context, perhaps the headline to come out of the game were Hansi Flick’s comments after the game, where he declared that ‘egos kill success’. Pedri seemed to agree with his manager.
“Last year, we all ran as a unit, everyone gave their all on the pitch, and that was the key. We didn’t focus on individual success, but on the team. That’s what makes a great team win titles.”
Interestingly, the following day Pedri would tell Catalunya Radio that “I think it’s more of a question for Flick. I don’t know who he was referring to. He knows for sure and he’ll talk to us about it when he gets back from the international break.”
The Canary Islander also noted that he was happier with a position change under Flick, whereas Xavi Hernandez had Pedri closer to goal.
“Flick has influenced many things. The position has changed. I’m a little deeper, creating play, and physically I’ve had the continuity I haven’t had in other years. I’ve been able to enjoy football. I’ve always liked being in contact with the ball. The more I touch the ball, the more comfortable I am in the game. In that position, apart from seeing the game from the front of you, it’s clear that I benefit from the contact with the ball. I also have Frenkie next to me, who helps a lot.”
“I feel much more comfortable in that position, but the coach (De la Fuente) has told me many times that he wants me in the attacking midfield, and I’ll try to do my best. Whatever the coach decides, goes.”
Pedri: “Defining Laporta with one word? Spectacular.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 2, 2025
Pedri on Fermin Lopez, Marc Casado and Joan Garcia
Meanwhile Barcelona fans were nervously waiting to see if Premier League interest in Fermin Lopez and Marc Casado transpired into a move at the end of the transfer window. Lopez told his teammates that he was staying recently.
“He told us not long ago, and I’m happy they’re both staying with us. Fermin, I’m always giving him a hard time about lots of things. I love him very much, and I knew he’d say he’d be with us. I don’t know if the club had to decide whether to listen to offers or not, but above all, he was the one who had to decide his future, and that’s what he’s decided.”
“I don’t know if he had doubts or if more things came out than he thought, he’ll say it when he wants, but his heart is Barcelona, it’s clear because he lives for this club as much as anyone else.”
On Barcelona’s star summer recruit, Pedri had high praise for new goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who was the unanimous man of the match against Rayo Vallecano.
“He’s an incredible goalkeeper. He’s really surprised me since he arrived. We saw him last year at Espanyol, but in the first few training sessions with us, I was amazed by his propulsion, how tall he is, how he plays with his feet, how fast he is… I also got along really well with him.”
Quickfire questions – Barcelona signing Haaland?
Pedri also answered a series of quickfire questions, in which he declared David Silva as the other player he modelled himself on other than Andres Iniesta. Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo were his closest friends in the Spain camp, while Rodri Hernandez is the international teammate he would sign for Barcelona.
Rodri’s Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland was the player he would sign that does not play for Spain, after much nudging, and he named three Real Madrid icons in the best XI of players he has seen; “Courtois, Carvajal, Pique, Van Dijk, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.”
