Dani Olmo started his adventure at FC Barcelona on the right foot. The player from Egar made his official debut in the Barça shirt on Tuesday 27 August against Rayo Vallecano and was the hero of the night, scoring the goal that gave the team managed by Hansi Flick the victory and certified their unbeaten run in the league championship. Now, the footballer is preparing to make his debut in front of the Barça fans at Montjuïc this Saturday, when the Catalans host Valladolid in Barcelona.
On the eve of the match corresponding to matchday 4 of LaLiga, the player from Egar gave an interview to the newspaper 'SPORT' where he spoke openly about his return to the Spotify Camp Nou. "I had been waiting for a long time, since I arrived I was waiting, I was really looking forward to it. Everything went perfectly," said the midfielder about his first appearance as a Barça player in Vallecas.
"I was more excited than nervous. I knew most of the team from the national team and it's not easy to play with them, with Rapha, with Robert, with Jules. I was really excited. Since I arrived, the adaptation was very easy for me. I was prepared," added Dani about the ease with which he adapted to Hansi Flick's system and the rapport with his new teammates.
His departure to Croatia and his signing for Barça
When asked if he regrets having left La Masia 10 years ago for Croatia, Olmo said emphatically that "I have not regretted going to Croatia. At that time I was clear that it was the best thing to do. They bet on me there. Many things have changed at Barça in these 10 years. The same thing I felt 10 years ago for Dinamo or five years ago for Leipzig, I feel now for Barça. I have always considered it my home, a dream, a goal to be able to return."
On the other hand, the player from Egar has spoken about his signing for Barça this summer, revealing the motivations that led him to sign with the Blaugrana and making it clear that he ruled out other options to make his return to the Spotify Camp Nou a reality. "This summer was different. Barça came with everything, they wanted me no matter what and I had no doubts. I had other options, but when Barça came I was clear," he confessed.
His relationship with Flick and the problems in the midfield
Regarding his relationship with Hansi Flick and the position in which he hopes to play in the German's scheme, Olmo said that he feels capable of playing in any position in the attack if the team requires it. "It was already seen in the game, he knows me from the Bundesliga, he knows where I played there and where I performed best. He knows where I can play. In the first game he put me behind the '9', next to Pedri, it's where I feel best. Although he knows that I could play in any of the positions up front," he said.
Finally, regarding Marc Bernal's injury, he said that "it was tough. When you hear news like that, about a teammate who is so young, who was playing his first games and doing so well. Life tests you sometimes, we are with him and we are sure that he will recover and come back even stronger," adding that "we have players who can play in that position. Casadó, Eric also played the first games there as a '6', then when Frenkie, Gavi come back... in the end the team is good and we have guarantees for that position. But the club is the one that decides, of course."