Pedri González expressed his surprise at the limited playing time given to one of Barcelona’s rising stars this season, while affirming his complete confidence in Hansi Flick’s decisions, which have always prioritized the team’s best interests, as evidenced by the team’s recent excellent results.
However, Pedri believes his young teammate deserves more opportunities on the pitch. Marc Bernal, the 18-year-old prodigy, has demonstrated exceptional potential and the ability to become one of the world’s best in the future. This was evident last season when he became a regular starter, playing alongside the number 8 in midfield, forming a harmonious partnership that garnered widespread praise and drew comparisons to legends such as Sergio Busquets.
But Bernal’s career suffered a major setback after a serious cruciate ligament injury sidelined him for more than 12 months. After a full recovery, he found himself out of Flick’s plans for a starting position, with the coach preferring Frenkie de Jong or even Eric García, thus limiting Bernal’s opportunities this season to just two appearances.
This situation has fueled speculation about a possible loan move away from Barcelona during the winter transfer window, to guarantee him regular playing time and help him regain his motivation and confidence before his promising career is jeopardized.
Pedri, for his part, has been keen to publicly support Bernal and express his full confidence in him. Many newspapers believe that Barcelona’s players are convinced of the youngster’s ability to play a larger role in Flick’s plans. With fixture congestion and the season becoming increasingly crucial, the moment Bernal has been waiting for to prove himself may have finally arrived.
