Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting young talents this season.
At just 17 years old, he has firmly established himself as a key figure in Barcelona’s defence, partnering with Inigo Martinez at the heart of the backline.
Having always looked up to Carles Puyol, Cubarsi has expressed a desire to emulate the legendary defender’s impact on the pitch.
However, Puyol himself has acknowledged that while Cubarsi shares some traits with him, there are key differences between them.
Compared to Gerard Pique
In an interview with El Pais (h/t SPORT), Puyol highlighted Cubarsi’s impressive skills, particularly his ability to play out from the back.
Puyol noted that in this aspect, Cubarsi “is a very complete player, with a very good exit from the ball. In this sense, he is more like Gerard Pique than me.”
Pau Cubarsi has received praise for Carles Puyol. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
While Puyol was a more traditional defender, Cubarsi has shown a modern, ball-playing style that suits the current demands of the game.
Puyol also praised Cubarsi’s defensive intelligence and his focus during matches. Despite his young age, Cubarsi “is very smart defensively. He’s competitive and he’s always focused. It’s not easy to have that peace of mind at that age,” he added.
Praise for Hansi Flick and Yamal
Puyol also shared his admiration for the work of the club’s current manager, Hansi Flick.
He acknowledged that while there was uncertainty about how the team would perform under Flick, Barcelona have been excelling, with many talented players rising to the occasion.
“It is clear that Flick is a great coach and that there are very good players. There is always the uncertainty of, above all, how they are going to start and they are doing very well,” said the legendary defender.
Additionally, Puyol also addressed the comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi. He believes it is unfair to place such high expectations on Yamal by comparing him to Messi.
“If we put the label of Leo on him. The pressure is already maximum. What Leo has done and continues to do is incredible and it will be very difficult to see a player like that again,” he noted.