The defender of Barcelona, Alejandro Balde, recently opened about the challenges and triumphs he has faced, including a worrying racist incident during a match against Getafe.
While Catalan giants prepare for a crucial house game against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League, Balde shared ideas about the current team of the team, individual performances and their personal trip.
Reflecting on the next game, Balde recognized the importance of ensuring victory despite qualifying for the next round.
He expressed confidence, promoted by strong performance against Valencia, emphasizing the need to aim at the three points.
“We have a very important game. We are through. But we are playing against a great rival. The match against Valencia gave us confidence. We have to go for the three points, ” He began to say.
In Ansu, Lamine and Pena
Balde spoke with love about his relationship with Ansu Fati, praising his friend’s motivation and determination despite facing challenges. He firmly believes that Ansu will return stronger, given his exceptional talent.
“Ansu is one of my best friends, it is in a slightly difficult situation, but it is motivated, anxious to play and improve. I am sure it will return because it has incredible talent. I will always support it. ”
He also highlighted the impressive rise of Lamine Yamal, describing him as one of the best young talents worldwide.
“On Lamine, what can I say, he is being one of the best in the world, I have full confidence in him if he continues like this.”
Bringing attention to goalkeeper Inaki Pena, Balde praised his implacable work ethics, pointing out the dedication of penalty in training. This commitment, according to bucket, has been crucial for its strong actions in the field.
“I think he is going well. I spend a lot of time with Iñaki. He is one of the hardest workers of the team, the first to reach the gym and the last to leave. I think he is going very well. ”
Century of objectives
When heading to the remarkable team score this season, Balde minimized any approach in breaking historical records.
Instead, he stressed that the main objective continues to win titles and maintain consistency throughout the season.
“This year we are scoring many goals and creating opportunities. We do not focus on that, we focus on winning games.
“We have to win titles and we focus on that, win things.” Explained.
Racist encounter
The conversation changed to a distressing moment when Balde found racist abuse during the Getafe party.
Although he recognized the complexity of the situation, he refrained from generalizing Spanish football based on the actions of some people.
“It was a complicated situation. I received several insults. I don’t know what to say.
“The fact that 3 or 4 people insult you does not mean that you have to generalize all Spanish football. I think I did the right informing people.
Proud of his identity, Balde remained firm in his belief that raising awareness was the right thing.
“I don’t care if they call me black. I am black and I am proud of it. It surprises me why Getafe has a black captain. “
Greater influence
Discussing his role in the team, Balde expressed his satisfaction with his growth and time of play. He recognized the difficulties of returning to the form after an injury, but proved his physical and mental improvement.
“My first season was really very good, the second was more due to the injury. It is not easy to return from an injury and play at a high level from day one. ”
Despite his young age, he feels a feeling of leadership within the team, especially along with players like Pedri and Gavi.
“Not all players are like Pedri or Gavi that are born with innate talent. I feel good physically and mentally. We are in a process of improvement and learning. ”
“We understand each other very well, we are very young. At 21, I look like a veteran. Pedri is 22 years old. We share hobbies, jokes and have a good time. That is the good thing about this team. ”
The possibilities of Barcelona in UCL
In Barcelona’s prospects in the Champions League, Balde exuded optimism, pointing out the team’s ability to compete against the best in Europe. He highlighted his victory in the Super Cup and his ambition to ensure more titles this season.
“We have the team to do it, yes. We already won the Super Cup, in the Madrid League is a little ahead, but in the Champions League we are doing very well, we have always won against the biggest teams. It is a reality, we can do it.
“Our priority is none other. We are in the race in all competitions. We have already won a title and we must continue fighting to win all the titles. “
Hansi Flick methods
Finally, Balde shared his thoughts about Hansi Flick’s training methods. He appreciated the Flick approach in the detailed corrections during training, which has been fundamental in the development and progress of the team.
“Each coach brings their own philosophy. Last year we were too well. We are a bit better, but we also have to assess what we did.
“During training, Flick stops to correct the actions and shows the video. He has been doing this throughout the season ” Concluded.
Source: AS