How Pedri harnessed his subtle genius to control Barcelona’s engine room Premium

Pedri, the coach's favorite, is a midfield maestro with limitless potential and a key player for Barcelona.

There is a certain type of footballer that coaches love — the veritable teacher’s pet. 

This player often, but not always, operates in midfield and serves as the coach’s eyes on the pitch, seeing the game as the manager envisions it. As a result, this is the person best suited to interpreting the coaching vision and game model in real time — an on-field coach as it were.

Even among teacher’s pets, Pedri stands out. Coaches can’t stop gushing about him.

Consider what former Barcelona manager Xavi said of him: “Pedri will change the face of the team. He’s a player that makes us feel emotional and excites us. I would like to stress the way he understands football. He doesn’t lose the ball. He reminds me a lot of [Andres] Iniesta, he makes the difference, he’s wonderful. I haven’t seen many talents like him.”

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, when asked about the height of Pedri’s ceiling, refused to define limits, instead saying, “Pedri had to find himself, we don’t know what his best version is because he’s so good, he is infinite”. Current Barcelona manager Hansi Flick recently added to this theme, refusing to compare him to anybody else “because he is incomparable”.

Pedri arrived in professional football astonishingly complete. The youngest goal-scorer in Las Palmas history at 16 years, 9 months and 23 days, he secured a move from the Canary Islands to Barcelona, quickly establishing himself in the midfield. He made his 50th appearance for the Spanish heavyweight when he was just 18, having looked completely at ease collaborating with Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi on the pitch.

You only need to watch Pedri in action to see why he evokes awe even among his peers. He excels in all phases. When he is anywhere near his best, the game flows through him.