Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has come out with high praise for 19-year-old defender Pau Cubarsi, comparing him with teammate Lamine Yamal going the other way. The teenage talent is in contention to go to the World Cup with Spain this summer.
That praise came ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League Round of 16 first leg at St. James’ Park against Newcastle United. A central part of Flick’s pre-match press conference was the interview given by Xavi Hernandez on Sunday night. The German coach tried to turn attention back to Newcastle.
“Newcastle plays well, they’ll press one-on-one, they’re quick in attack, we have to defend very well with pride and courage. Both games count. We already saw that against Atletico in the Cup. We have to be careful and we will.”
“It’s the best league in the world, it’s incredible, they have a lot of money and can make decisions. We are as strong as they are and we have to play according to our philosophy and show it to the world.”
‘We didn’t defend as a team against Atletico’
The Blaugrana have won all four games since their 2-1 defeat to Girona, but the major questions were asked about Barcelona after a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid. Newcastle are a side with players of similar attributes.
“We’ve talked about and analysed that match, very honestly. We didn’t defend as a team the way we wanted; some players didn’t do a good job defensively. At home, on the other hand, everyone defended, everyone kept the necessary distance, everyone pressed when they needed to… If you don’t apply pressure, it’s difficult to defend.”
🚨 Joan García: “We know it’s a two-legged tie. Tomorrow we must match their pace, we must learn from the Copa del Rey tie, in which the first leg conditioned us a lot.” pic.twitter.com/djwRb3ORrb
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 9, 2026
Flick was asked about his side’s defensive struggles, something that was also the case at Bayern Munich.
“How many goals did we score? I’ve had two incredible teams, Bayern and Barca, and I enjoy every day. We also scored a lot of goals. Defending is a team effort.”
‘Cubarsi can play at the highest level’ – Flick
Since their recovery, Flick has been keen to build the confidence of his players, and was full of praise for them following their win over Athletic Club. This time he highlighted Cubarsi in particular.
“Cuba, Lamine, Fermin, Bernal… Their quality is incredible, their match in Bilbao was amazing. Watching Cubarsi defend… He took a throw-in like a corner. He’s at the same level maybe, maybe not, as Lamine, but in defence. He’s 19 years old and can play at the highest level imaginable.”
The general consensus has been that Cubarsi has struggled at times this season, as has been the case for most of Barcelona’s backline, in part a product of their collective issues. However against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey return leg and in Bilbao, he put in two of his best performances of the season.
