Messi praises Flick’s young guns as Barcelona visit Celta without Yamal

BARCELONA, Spain — Hansi Flick is clicking again for Barcelona, ​​and the best player in the club’s history has taken notice.

Lionel Messi praised Flick’s willingness to give playing opportunities to Barcelona’s youngsters. That gamble has paid off and reinvigorated a Barcelona side that is playing its best football since Messi’s tearful exit three years ago.

“It makes me proud to see how the team is represented now. This Barça is spectacular,” Messi said in an interview with Catalan broadcaster TV3 on Friday.

Messi and other members of his great Barcelona team, such as Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández, were themselves products of the club’s renowned training system. Lamine Yamal now leads a new La Masia academy product group.

“It happened when I arrived at the club at the age of 13,” Messi said. “I think it’s great that these kids have had these chances the last couple of years. When you give them the opportunity and show them confidence, they respond that way because they know the club better than anyone and they know how the team wants to play. Good things happen just like with the previous generation.”

Xavi, Flick’s predecessor until he was sacked last season, was the first to tap into this rich new tab of budding talent, giving Yamal his start at just 15 years old. Xavi also opened the door for defender Pau Cubarsí and midfielder Fermín López to join the senior team.

Flick continued on the same path, despite being a complete newcomer to the club.

Rather than pressuring the club to sign a holding midfielder upon his arrival, the German manager took several youth players on Barcelona’s pre-season summer tour. From that experience he found Marc Bernal, who played well at the holding position until he tore his ACL after just three games.

Then Flick dug deeper and found a real gem in Marc Casadó, who took the position by storm and recently won his debut in Spain. In total, Flick gave four youth players their debuts in his first three months with the club.

Casadó was one of six under-22 players to debut for Barcelona, ​​led by 17-year-old Yamal and Cubarsí, in two recent wins against Real Madrid (4-0) and Bayern Munich (4- 1).

“It’s an honor that the best player here in Barça in history says that and that he watches how the team plays and how the young players do,” Flick said of Messi’s comments. “You can see his whole heart is with this club and it means a lot to us and this team.”

Barcelona visit Celta Vigo on Saturday, leading the Spanish league by six points over Madrid.

Yamal will miss the game against Celta with a right ankle injury which also ruled him out for Spain during last week’s international break. Barcelona lost 1-0 at Real Sociedad in their last game, with Yamal already sidelined with an ankle problem.

Flick said they don’t want to rush their new star back too soon.

“Lamine is very important for us, but we have to adapt and we have players who can play for him,” said Flick. “When he comes back, it’s important that he’s 100 percent.”