Hansi Flick surprised Pedri with this request upon arriving at FC Barcelona

Pedri González is experiencing his breakout season at FC Barcelona. After a complicated year due to injuries and lack of continuity, the Tenerife native has 'reborn' under Hansi Flick's orders and has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world, if not the best, largely due to the influence of the German coach on his game.

The player himself confessed this in an interview with the 'EFE' agency, where he stated that the German asked him to "step up" as the chief of the midfield as soon as he arrived in the Catalan city. The Canary Islander has dropped back in his position on the field and now acts as the team's conductor, managing the tempo and setting the rhythm of the Blaugrana's play.

"He told me he wanted me to dominate the midfield"

"I really like this position, because I am in contact with the ball, I touch a lot of balls, the game goes through me. I feel more comfortable and I have learned how to position myself better in defensive tasks," he explained. According to Pedri, Flick's confidence has been key to rediscovering his best version. "He told me he wanted me to dominate the midfield," he revealed.

Pedri and his leadership role in the locker room

Additionally, he referred to his new role as one of the leaders in the locker room, stating that "there are many young players and by virtue of my experience, I should be one of the leaders. I like being one, it’s a role that doesn’t scare me at all. I just want to take it on to try to help Barça win titles."

"By virtue of my experience, I should be one of the leaders. I like being one, it’s a role that doesn’t scare me"

González, on the other hand, has finally left behind the muscle problems that had weighed him down in recent seasons. The player admitted to feeling "very light" on the field, where he can now make "several efforts in a row" without fear of suffering an injury.

In this regard, the midfielder acknowledges that "the way of training" is one of the main reasons for his physical improvement. "It doesn’t mean that the previous way of training was bad, it’s just that it suits me personally very well," he clarified, highlighting the work done by Julio Tous in this area, as the new head of physical preparation for the first team conducts strength exercises that are "much more tailored" for each player and their needs.

Moreover, the genetic tests he underwent, which determined that he needed to play matches back-to-back, with hardly any breaks, have also been crucial in this aspect of his 'rebirth'. "I prefer to play, as my body struggles to get going when I stop for a week or two," he stated.

The atmosphere in the Barça locker room

Pedri revealed that Flick asks him to "bring calm, hold the possession, and from there generate chances," pulling the strings of a team where the existing "feeling" among the squad has been a determining factor for their good performance in all competitions. "We are always laughing and joking around, because there are many players who are not even 20 years old. We laugh a lot and the good relationship we have off the field translates onto it," he stated.

The Tenerife native also highlighted the outstanding season of his teammate Raphinha, stating that "he deserves it a lot, because there was a time when he was receiving criticism, that he wasn’t finding his best level, but you always saw him training, wanting to improve, wanting to have those opportunities that you knew would come because of how hard he worked, he’s spectacular."

Finally, the '8' of Barça praised his friends Gavi and Fermín López, commenting that "it seems like they are on fire, but the work both of them do is incredible," also highlighting the figure of Ferran Torres, who this season is reaping "the fruits" of his labor.