Not Raphinha or Lewandowski: Coach Hansi Flick reveals Barcelona star on the same level as Lamine Yamal
While Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski have each seen their 2025-26 seasons disrupted by injury, Lamine Yamal has stepped up as Barcelona‘s undisputed main man. But according to head coach Hansi Flick, there is another Blaugrana star, neither the Brazilian nor the Pole, who is currently operating at the same level as the teenage sensation.
Yamal has once again raised the bar, leading Barcelona in both goals (19) and assists (15) this season, making it comfortably his most prolific campaign to date. Flick has consistently leaned on his younger players over the course of the season, and with the UEFA Champions League now the primary focus, he has spoken glowingly about the growth of his youthful core.
Ahead of the match against Newcastle United, Flick was asked how he manages a squad increasingly driven by young talent while coping with the absences of veterans like Raphinha, Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, and even Ronald Araujo. “We speak about a young team. Pau Cubarsi is now 19, Marc Bernal is 18, Lamine is 18, Fermin (Lopez) is 21, and this quality that they have is unbelievable. For me, they should enjoy the games, and they should improve in every game, and they do it,” he said on Monday’s press conference.
Reflecting on a run of four consecutive wins, including the 3-0 victory over Atlético Madrid and last Saturday’s 1-0 win at Athletic Club, Flick singled out one young player for special praise: “The match against Bilbao, the match against Atletico, it’s amazing for me to see how Cuba (Cubarsi) is defending. We speak a lot, because sometimes I say to him ‘Hey, come on, you’re a little bit lazy ok? You have to be focused.’“
The German coach then delivered a striking assessment of the teenager’s standing within the squad. “But he’s young. He’s 19 years old, but que has a huge quality. For me, as a defender, he’s on the same level as Lamine, and it’s amazing to have him. He is 19 years old and can play at the highest level he can imagine,” he candidly stated.
Cubarsí has indeed established himself as one of the most important players in Flick’s setup despite his age. Having turned 19 in January, the technically gifted Spanish center-back has already made 116 appearances for Barcelona, becoming the youngest player in club history to reach 100 games, a record surpassed only, fittingly, by Yamal himself.
Yamal and some Barcelona youngsters on the verge of suspension
Having been eliminated from the Copa del Rey in the semifinals by Atlético Madrid, Barcelona are now fully focused on the one major trophy that eluded them last season: the Champions League. The Blaugrana have traveled to England for the first leg of the Round of 16 against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park, but the game comes with a significant disciplinary subplot.
Heading into Tuesday’s match, Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Gerard Martín and Marc Casadó are all one booking away from a suspension. Each has already accumulated four yellow cards in the competition, meaning a single caution would rule them out of the second leg at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, March 18. With Yamal, López and Martín all regarded as key starters, the stakes of staying disciplined could hardly be higher.