After missing two games through registration complications, Dani Olmo finally made his debut as a Barcelona player in the team’s clash against Rayo Vallecano midweek.
Starting on the bench, the 26-year-old came on as a second-half substitute and completely changed the tone of the game.
His presence on the field instantly boosted Barcelona’s attacking forays as he constantly menaced the Rayo defence with his smart runs and combination play. In the end, he even scored the winner for the Catalans, capping off the perfect debut.
Olmo talks about Hansi Flick
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo after making his debut for Barcelona, the Spanish star explained at length about his relationship with Hansi Flick, the manager’s methodologies and expectations.
He first spoke on his profile and what he can bring to the Blaugrana club this season.
“I’m a player who always tries to look forward, attack, make the final pass, combine with other players or shoot from distance.”
“So, in that sense, instead of keeping my position or staying too quiet, I always try to look forward and attack,” he added.
Olmo was then asked what the manager demanded of him in his first game at the club, to which he said,
“Hansi asked me to move between the lines where I like to connect with Pedri and those who are going forward. I felt comfortable.”
“A mixture of English and German,” he added when asked how the manager communicated with him.
As an individual who can understand both Spanish and German, the Spaniard was asked if he acted as a medium for Flick to pass his commands in the dressing room, to which he jovially replied by saying:
“I understand German and speaking is a bit difficult for me but I can do it. But no, I didn’t help him. I’m not a translator (laughs).”
“Yes, sometimes if there is a need to explain I do it or if there is a colleague next to me who doesn’t understand it well I explain it to him.”
Speaking on how the manager was in terms of communication and his influence in the dressing room, the new signing revealed that Flick was filled with ambition.
“Good, he is close, continuous and very ambitious to win. Even if we start well, he is always looking forward to the next game.”
“The past is not worth it and you have to look forward and keep winning, that is his idea,” he added.
Finally, the 26-year-old was quizzed if he had a chat with the coach over the position he is best deployed in, to which he said,
“We saw that already in the game, he knows me from the Bundesliga and knows where I played there and where I did my best. He knows where I can play.”
“In the first game, he put me behind the number 9 next to Pedri and that’s where I feel my best even though he knows I can play in any of the attacking positions,” he concluded.
