Barcelona had a sensational season under Hansi Flick. The German tactician guided them to the domestic treble in his first season at the club. They also reached the UEFA Champions League semifinal only to get beaten by Inter Milan.
One of the standout players for the Catalans was Pedri in midfield. The Spain international has been pivotal to Barcelona's gameplay as he controls the tempo and flow in Flick's high-intensity system.
Pedri has had a great year as he also played a big role in helping Spain win the 2024 European Championship. He has been so consistent for the Catalans and also La Roja that many fans are calling out his name for the Ballon d'Or this year.
The 22-year-old midfielder sat down for an interview with Diario AS a few weeks ago. Part of the interview that caught a lot of attention was when he revealed Bayern Munich's interest in him before joining Barcelona.
Back then, Hasan Salihamidzic was Bayern's sporting director, who had enquired about Pedri. Interestingly, Flick was the manager of the German giants, and he too wanted to sign the Spaniard.
“They were interested in me, but my love for Barcelona was unconditional. It’s the club of my dreams, and it will be very difficult to leave there.”
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The youngster is one of the best players in world football, and therefore, when he joined Barcelona in 2019 from Las Palmas, Bayern made a full-fledged attempt to lure him to Bavaria. But the Spaniard was determined to don the Blaugrana colours.
What did Pedri say about Ballon d'Or claims?
The 22-year-old was one of Barcelona's best performers in the 2024/25 season. His strong performances in midfield have led to Ballon d'Or claims from Barcelona fans. Pedri is pleased by the recognition given by the fans, but he doesn't like to look much at individual awards.
“I don’t look at individual awards much, but since Rodri won the Ballon d’Or, it’s different. Because they didn’t usually focus on midfield players. The titles with the national team weigh a lot and this has changed.
“We are facing a Nations League final. The most important thing is the team. I am proud that they have me in some conversations. But I will save my vote for when everything is over and that is how it will be.”
Spain will face France in the Nations League semifinals on Thursday, June 5 at MHPArena in Stuttgart, Germany. The winner will face Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal in the final on Sunday, June 9.
Barcelona news and related links
- Gavi opens up on Barcelona future and joining PSG rumors
- Barcelona suffers major setback with risk of UEFA points deduction
- Lamine Yamal warned by Lewandowski to not keep Ballon d'Or hopes for one reason