Pau Cubarsí, 19 years old and with over 100 appearances for Barça, speaks with calm and confidence. In an exclusive interview with Mundo Deportivo he reviews the team's last two defeats and sends an optimistic message to the fans: the squad will fight until the end to try to win the Champions League.
About the thrashing at the Metropolitano, Cubarsí says Atlético started with a lot of intensity and an early goal disrupted their plans. He also regrets that his goal was disallowed and that the VAR pause of nearly ten minutes broke the good start to the second half; that goal, he believes, would have given them real chances to mount a comeback.
He stresses that the group has already shown it believes in comebacks and that they will try again with all their strength and the fans' support.
Regarding the Girona defeat, he admits the team must improve: they conceded two avoidable goals, played poorly, lacked a bit of everything and need to be self-critical and step up.
On a personal level, Cubarsí says everything is happening very fast but he is proud to be part of the club. He is indisputably in Flick's plans and, while statistics (such as top pass accuracy among U21 centre-backs) speak well of him, he prefers to focus on his work and keep improving.
He cites references like Puyol and Piqué and explains that Barça trains players for the first touch and passing. He can play on the right or left and feels comfortable in both positions, perhaps slightly more on the right because it allows him to thread passes.
About teammates, he recalls that Iñigo Martínez gave him security last season; this year he plays alongside Eric, Gerard and Ronald and praises their partnership. He adds that Eric is a joker in the dressing room but both stay focused on the pitch.
He describes Hansi Flick as a close coach who tells them to be themselves and play with confidence. He defends Flick's offensive philosophy and the high line: it carries risks but the high press and collective work should help reduce concessions.
He welcomes Ronald Araujo's return and says it brings reassurance. He also emphasizes the importance of the mental side for performance: he tries not to be affected by outside opinions and listens to the people close to him.
On the season: the team leads LaLiga, is in the Champions League round of 16, in the Copa del Rey semifinals and has already won the Supercup; the aim is to try to surpass last season. On the transfer front he mentions a left-footed centre-back named Bas oni in the rumours and praises Julián Álvarez as a top-class forward. He finishes by asking supporters to trust the team: they will fight until the end to try to bring the Champions and compete for every possible title.
