Not everything has been rosy for FC Barcelona this season, or at least not for everyone. While Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Raphinha shone on the pitch and were in contention for the Ballon d’Or, some of their teammates were condemned to ostracism, with no opportunities and no playing time. This is the case for players such as Ansu Fati, Pau Víctor, Iñaki Peña, and Pablo Torre, who are now looking for a way out so they can feel like footballers again.
Pablo Torre lashes out at Flick
The Barcelona player has opened up and spoken candidly about his season under Hansi Flick since the Spain U21 training camp in an interview with the newspaper Sport. Pablo Torre has not held back and has opened up, saying he is hurt by not playing. “We had a chat and he told me it was difficult to get minutes, I already knew that, he didn’t need to tell me. But in the end, you hold on to the hope of making the most of every minute you get. Football is a game with a lot of injuries and you have to be ready to step up. It was a decision I made together with my family, my parents, my agents…”, he recalls.
As for the amount of playing time he has had and how coach Hansi Flick has distributed it, the Cantabrian has been blunt and taken a jab at the German. “I don’t think I was out of place when I was on the field. These are things the coach chooses, it’s true that there were no injuries and so it’s also very difficult for him to choose. I respect his decisions, but many times I haven’t understood them. There was a lot of competition and it was difficult to get in, but I think that part wasn’t fair either, and I told him that in a conversation I had with him. When I played, I played very well and I think I deserved much more,“ he explains.
These words of reproach are the opposite of those he directed at Gavi, who asked Flick to put him on the field in the match against Valencia. ”I have a very special relationship with Gavi.
He’s always looked out for me and thought about me, that I could enjoy the last few minutes. And yes, I didn’t feel great about it because we were winning by a lot, there were 20 minutes left… I think he could have made better decisions, as I said, but anyway, I have nothing to say.”
He did say something about his future, which looks set to be away from FC Barcelona. “Right now I’m focused on the European Championship. I’m very, very motivated; in fact, it’s been a while since I’ve been this motivated. Let’s see what happens, I don’t want to think too far ahead. I’m happy here with my teammates and the coach, and let’s see if we can win the European Championship.”
Pablo Torre didn’t commit himself, but it’s clear that his relationship with the coach is broken and, after being given very few minutes on the pitch, the young Cantabrian wants to enjoy football again at another club. In principle, the club is looking to renew his contract and then seek a loan or a sale with an option to buy, as they have never denied the player’s potential, but there is overbooking in midfield.