Balde, Kounde and Martinez talk about Hansi Flick’s impact: “He wants to play with…”

Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde put on an impressive performance during their 2-1 win over Athletic Club, showcasing his skills and determination as he advanced up the left wing. 

Following the match, Balde shared that he is now fully recovered from the injury he sustained against Valencia. He described the recovery as a lengthy process, noting that it took a considerable amount of time before he could return to training with the team. 

However, he has been back in training for about six weeks and feels very calm and confident about his fitness levels.

“I’m fine now from my injury. It’s been a very long recovery process but I started training with the team a month and a half ago and I’m very calm,” said the young defender as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Balde also spoke highly of their coach, Hansi Flick, emphasising that he has a lot of trust in the younger players. According to Balde, this faith is being repaid by the young squad members, who are demonstrating that they are ready to compete at the highest level. 

“He has a lot of faith in the young players and they are showing that they are ready.

“Hansi asks us to play our game. We are playing a more vertical style of football and that is evident in the chances we create. 

“The most important thing is that we won and took the three points. We are very happy and we have come back strong after the penalty equaliser,” explained the defender.

Kounde’s thought on Hansi Flick

Jules Kounde put on a great performance against Athletic Club. (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

Another standout performer was Jules Kounde, who successfully managed to nullify the threat posed by Nico Williams. The French defender reflected on his performance, expressing his satisfaction with how he handled the challenge.

“I felt good, it’s a good challenge to face Nico and I’m delighted with how it turned out.”

Kounde explained that the coach’s strategy revolves around maintaining a high press and playing with intensity and energy. 

“The coach wants us to press high, to be dynamic, to go for more goals, I think we’ve understood that well and we’re doing it.

“He wants to play with intensity and strength. That’s what we need in games like this,” he added.

Inigo Martinez’s thoughts on the game

Meanwhile, veteran centre-back Inigo Martinez took a more self-critical stance when reflecting on the team’s overall performance. 

The 33-year-old acknowledged that the first half of the game was not up to their usual standards, admitting that they allowed Athletic Club to create several chances.

“Our first half was not good, they created many chances. In the second we improved,” he noted.

“We always have room for improvement. We have many young players in the team and the important thing is that they get into rhythm.” 

On a personal note, he expressed his happiness to be part of the Barcelona squad, emphasizing the unity and collective effort of the team. “I am very happy to be here. We are all part of the team and each player is important,” he concluded. 

This victory against Athletic Club is just another step in their journey, and the team appears to be growing stronger with each game under Flick’s guidance.