It was an emotional night on the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Tuesday, as Barcelona defeated Benfica 3-1 within the second leg of their Champions League spherical of 16 tie, which was their first match for the reason that sudden passing of Carles Miñarro Garcia final weekend.
A second of silence was noticed previous to kick-off, and after the match, the victory was devoted to Miñarro Garcia by Barcelona midfielder Gavi, as per Sport.
“We needed to present him the victory at this time, it’s the least he deserves. No matter we win from now will likely be for Dr. Miñarro. He was an incredible individual and we’ll miss him very a lot.”
Gavi was an alternative choice to Tuesday’s match, and in latest weeks, he has repeatedly been absent from the Barcelona beginning line-up. This has led to hypothesis concerning his future, however the 20-year-old has emphatically dismissed any claims that he may go away.
“I’ll by no means be upset about not beginning. Individuals say issues, they discuss gives from right here and there, however lies. I signed a 5-year contract right here and I’ll stick with it, as a result of that is the membership of my life. Rotations occur, I’m calm and the coach trusts me.”
Barcelona have had an impressive season, and the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal have stood out as doable candidates to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or award, which will likely be handed out by France Soccer later within the yr. Nonetheless, Gavi believes that it needs to be one other of his teammates that’s profitable.
“No one deserves the Ballon D’Or greater than Pedri, everybody is aware of what sort of a participant he’s.”
It’s secure to say that many individuals at Barcelona would argue in opposition to Pedri being one of the best participant on the earth proper now, even when Raphinha has been extra decisive from an attacking sense.