"Here, the atmosphere and the expectations that arise when a player of Mbappe's calibre arrives have an influence. But I believe that football today is, above all, about being a team. In that sense, Barcelona are superior: they play as a team, everyone defends, everyone attacks. And, what's more, they enjoy playing together."
"I think Raphinha has taken a big step forward since I left and since Flick's arrival. At first, he didn't have the easiest time of it. He struggled to adapt and wasn't playing as much as he wanted to. Now I see him as motivated, full of confidence and keen to make his mark at the club."
"This is the league of those academy graduates who, in another era, wouldn't have had the chance to break into the first team so quickly."
Jordi Alba discusses Barcelona's advantages heading into El Clasico against Real Madrid under manager Hansi Flick. Despite Real Madrid's individual talent, including Kylian Mbappe's arrival, Alba emphasizes that Barcelona operates as a more cohesive team where players collectively defend and attack while enjoying playing together. He praises Raphinha's significant improvement in confidence and tactical understanding since Flick's arrival, noting the Brazilian's transformation from initial struggles to becoming a motivated, key player. Alba highlights La Masia academy graduates as the foundation of Barcelona's domestic success this season, crediting the academy system for enabling young players to break into the first team more quickly than in previous eras.
Read at Barca Universal
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