Barcelona suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the semifinal second leg against Inter Milan at San Siro to crash out of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League. But Hansi Flick’s men have no time to sit and reflect on the result as they have to fight for the La Liga crown this season with Sunday’s El Clasico being a determining factor.
Ahead of the most important game in this season’s La Liga, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres sat down with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo and made an audacious admission on his Ballon d’Or candidate for this year.
The Spain international believes his compatriot Pedri, who has been a metronome for the Blaugrana this season deserves the prestigious Ballon d’Or this year. The young Spaniard is basically the fulcrum of this Barcelona team under the tutelage of Flick.
Torres highlighted how Pedri is the one who controls the tempo of Barcelona in the midfield and makes Flick’s system work. When asked about the 22-year-old’s quality, Torres wasn’t surprised.
“Well, I’m not surprised because I never had any doubt about him. I think he’s a different player. He’s showing it this year, but even in previous years, you could see it. But I believe we still haven’t seen the best version of Pedri, he can give much more.”
The Barcelona forward feels the best of Pedri is yet to come. “That’s what Pedri is like; he never fails. Whenever he’s needed, he’s there, just like when he’s not. We haven’t seen the best version of Pedri yet, he can give much more.”
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Later, when the 25-year-old was asked about his Ballon d’Or candidate for the year, he was quick to take Pedri’s name once again. “Yes, for me, he should get it because the level he’s showing is something extraordinary.”
What did Ferran Torres say ahead of El Clasico?
Barcelona were almost through to the final until Francesco Acerbi scored a last-gasp goal to keep Inter Milan in the tie, only to win it in extra time. So it was surely heartbreaking, but Torres doesn’t want to delve into that anymore rather, he intends to shift his focus to Sunday’s game against Real Madrid.
“Well, we’ve all thought about it. But now we need to focus on such an important game, the Clasico, which can give us La Liga.”
The forward believes that the setback in Milan will be added motivation for the players to win the upcoming game and the La Liga eventually. “It should be extra motivation, because we’ve had a great season, and we need to finish it with another celebration.
“We are a young team, and I have no doubt that we showed we will have more opportunities in the future, and we will succeed.”
The former Manchester City man is experiencing his best season at Camp Nou. he has netted 19 goals this season from 44 matches across competitions. He also finished as the top scorer in the 2024/25 Copa del Rey, which they lifted earlier this season, beating Madrid in the final.
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