Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, has provided insight into the current competition for midfield positions. The pecking order in Barcelona’s engine room has shifted dramatically.
Marc Casadó spent the first half of the season establishing himself as Pedri’s clear first-choice partner, but the 21-year-old has recently been left on the bench.
This comes as Frenkie de Jong, now back healthy and blazing on all cylinders, appears to have surpassed his youthful teammate in manager Flick’s plans.
At his most recent pre-match press conference on Saturday, it was regarded as little shock that the names of the two players were presented to Barca’s coach himself.
Flick went on to explain the basis behind his recent shake-up: “This is a tricky question. Frenkie has improved significantly this month. Casadó is more defensive and focused on that element, but Frenkie allows us to have more possession and play offensively. Casadó is a young player who can yet grow, but in his debut season he performed admirably. He should be happy with his accomplishments.”
