Pau Cubarsi, Barcelona player
hoto by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Pau Cubarsi’s technical ability is useful to Barcelona, but Hansi Flick’s coaching staff appear to have drawn a fairly firm line over where they want the teenager playing.
According to RAC1 (h/t FCB World), discussions between Cubarsi and the Barcelona coaching staff have led to the conclusion that the defender will only be used at left centre-back when circumstances leave the team with no real alternative.
As such, Barcelona see Cubarsi as a centre-back for the present and the future, and the preference is to keep him on the right side of the pairing whenever possible.
Simply put, it is a decision based on how Cubarsi uses the ball and how he defends.
Barcelona want Cubarsi on the right
Cubarsi’s passing is one of the main reasons Barcelona value him so highly.
Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Barcelona players
Barcelona will not move Cubarsi to the left. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
From the right side, his right foot gives him a more natural angle to play forward passes and break lines, while the defensive side is just as important.
The 19-year-old is comfortable moving towards the flank to make challenges and clear danger. When he shifts towards his right, he can use his stronger foot to make those interventions with greater accuracy.
That becomes more complicated when he plays on the left. Cubarsi is still capable of defending there, but he has to use his weaker foot for some of those actions.
Barcelona believe that small difference can affect the quality of his clearances and challenges.
Cubarsi remains central to Flick’s plans
There is no suggestion that this positional preference has changed Cubarsi’s importance to Barcelona.
Pau Cubarsi, Barcelona defender
Pau Cubarsi is Barcelona future. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The defender remains part of the club’s plans as a starting centre-back, even though Flick left him out of the team for the 7-2 win over Racing Santander.
Andreas Christensen started on the right in that match, with Gerard Martin operating on the left. Their selection allowed Flick to rest Cubarsi without moving another regular defender across unnecessarily.
Once Cubarsi is back, the expectation is that he will return to the right side of the defence whenever available, which also gives Flick a clearer division of responsibilities.
Cubarsi can focus on the position where his passing and defensive footwork are most natural, while Gerard Martin provides an option on the left when required.