Pedri is back for Spain a year and a half later – and his best could be on the way
“I’m very happy for the game and my first goals, I really wanted to score for Spain,” Pedrisaid on Saturday.
“I’ve worked very hard this season and have had some setbacks — injuries are the worst things in football. But I’m feeling very good now physically. I’m really looking forward to the Euros starting.”
Pedri was speaking after scoring twice in Spain’s 5-1 friendly winagainst Northern Irelandin Mallorca, their last match before their opening game of the European Championshipagainst Croatiaon Saturday.
The “first goals” line might have led to a double take from some given the Barcelonamidfielder made his senior debut for Spain in March 2021, has appeared at a Euros and a World Cup finals since then, and has been widely hailed as an outstanding creative talent.
But the mentions of injuries and setbacks give an indication of why he has had to wait so long for those goals. The game against Northern Ireland was his 20th senior cap. His 19th, against Andorra last Wednesday, was his first appearance for La Roja since the 2022 World Cup 18 months ago and he has suffered seven different muscle injuriesover the past three seasons.
A few weeks ago, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente publicly doubted whether Pedri would even make the final squad for this summer’s Euros in Germany after another club campaign in which he was questioned more than ever before.
Still only 21, the next month will give Pedri the opportunity to make up for lost time and prove his quality and his fitness.
A Canary Islands native, Pedri arrived at Barca in summer 2020 from then-second-division side Las Palmas, aged 17. He immediately established himself in their first team alongside boyhood heroes Lionel Messiand Sergio Busquets, made his Spain Under-21 debut that October, and by March had been fast-tracked into the senior side by head coach Luis Enrique.
At the delayed Euro 2020, Pedri was named young player of the tournament after putting in a series of mature and influential performances to help La Roja reach the semi-finals. He was the only Spain player chosen in the tournament’s official XI — with his creativity and control drawing comparisons to Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
Pedri’s first senior season stretched all the way to August’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, where a team coached by De la Fuente reached the final before being beaten by Brazil. That meant he played 73 games in less than 12 months for club and country.
It was too much for a teenager still new to the demands of senior football — The Athleticreported the FIFPro players union’s concerns he needed a proper rest. But within a week of returning from Japan, he was starting the opening La Ligagame of the 2021-22 season.
Within a fortnight, he suffered the first muscle injury of his career. It was the start of a frustrating run in which he would suffer injury and work hard on returning quickly but break down again. The problems were not just in one area, with muscles in different zones of both legs affected.
During the past three seasons, Pedri’s longest run of fitness was the five months from the start of 2022-23 through to the four games at the World Cup in Qatar. But he suffered yet another right thigh muscle injury in February last year. After returning within a month, he soon picked up a hamstring strain that meant he missed Spain’s UEFA Nations League win last June.
Pedri made changes to his preparation and diet last summer. He worked with a personal trainer to strengthen his core against strains and stresses. He took up pilates. He ditched his mother’s croquettes from his family’s restaurant in Tenerife.
But just two games into this most recent season, he suffered another hamstring tear, which led to tensions with Barca’s coaching and medical departments. Some felt there had been too much pressure on him to return, especially for Clasicos or the Champions Leagueknockout stages.
Everyone knew Barca were better with a fit Pedri in their XI, but the cumulative effect of continuously rushing him back from injury was doing serious damage to his career.
There was more frustration in March when Pedri left the pitch in tears after yet another right thigh muscle injury, against Athletic Bilbao. Yet he was back within five weeks for Barca’s April quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Coming on with an hour gone and Xavi’s side 2-1 down, he almost immediately provided a brilliant assist for Raphinha’s equaliser and Barca went on to win 3-2.
The second leg did not go so well. Pedri started but struggled to get up to pace, especially after Ronald Araujo’s sending-off left Barca with 10 men after half an hour. He was withdrawn with Barca behind on aggregate and en route to a damaging exit from the tournament.
Five days later, Pedri was left on the bench for Barca’s La Liga visit to the Santiago Bernabeu. After entering at half-time, some commentators blamed him for being outrun by the 38-year-old Luka Modricin the build-up to Jude Bellingham’s winning goal for Madrid.
That took place amid growing noise and rumours about alleged issues with his lifestyle. “You’re absolute idiots and liars,” his brother Fernando said on social media in April in response to a fan who claimed partying was a problem.
The reports were not credible, but they pointed to the pressure-cooker atmosphereat Barcelona — where such controversies are often fed by different interests around the club.
Xavi’s comments in public and selection decisions also sent mixed messages. Pedri started just four of Barca’s final 10 games of the season and completed 90 minutes once.
Some felt Pedri was finally getting the protection he needed, but it was an indication he was no longer an automatic starter, with Xavi often preferring the energy and freshness of Fermin Lopez, only six months younger than Pedri but in his first season as a senior pro.
Doubts over Pedri’s physical and mental recovery emerged within the Spain setup. When announcing his preliminary squad for the Euros, De la Fuente said he wanted to judge his state of body and mind first-hand.
“Nobody doubts Pedri’s talent or that he is a great footballer,” the coach said. “All players have moments of form. He’s finding his rhythm. Pedri gives us a chance to play in different ways if he makes the final 26 (man squad).”
Manchester Citymidfielder Rodrishowed similar caution at a pre-Euros media day.
“Pedri has had a really difficult spell with injuries,” he told The Athletic. “He was obviously a very important player for us before. Now he has to get back to his rhythm, to return again to his previous level.”
Pedri wore the No 20 against Andorra as he pulled on a Spain shirt for the first time in 18 months.
He endured a frustrating first half against a side who defended deep but looked more comfortable as the game progressed, helping to set up Spain’s second goal. He then had to watch from the bench as club team-mate Fermin played a role in the final three goals of a 5-0 victory in an eye-catching international debut.
The second warm-up game against Northern Ireland began with a fright, as Sunderlanddefender Daniel Ballard headed the visitors in front after two minutes. Spain were still wobbling 10 minutes later when Pedri picked up the ball between the lines. He immediately turned, carried it forward and lashed a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
His show of leadership and talent steadied Spain. Alvaro Morata’s header made it 2-1 and Pedri was central to everything they did in an advanced midfield role. His second goal was a confident, first-time finish from eight yards out after Nico Williams’ direct run and cutback.
“I always said Pedri needed to find himself again and he has now,” De la Fuente said. “The player himself has to take that step forward, to return the confidence shown in him and feel secure so he can show how good he is.”
Speaking from Spain’s Euros base in the Black Forest town of Donaueschingen on Tuesday, Pedri brushed off the idea that a fear of injuring himself again had ever inhibited his performances on the pitch.
Still, the last years have not been easy for him. There have been moments when he has felt alone and at the mercy of circumstances beyond his control.
All the turmoil at Barcelona — on and off the pitch — has impacted his fitness and reputation. His relationship with childhood hero Xavi did not end as either would have hoped.
Pedri remains a shy kid, happiest when on the pitch playing football, but that quiet exterior has always hidden an ambitious and determined core, without which he could not have gone in 12 months from the second division with Las Palmas to lighting up Euro 2020.
This summer offers an opportunity to put a lot of pain and frustration behind him. The hope for both Spain and Barca is they are yet to see the best Pedri.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5555451/2024/06/12/pedri-barcelona-spain-euro-2024/
Pedri is back for Spain a year and a half later – and his best could be on the way
“I’m very happy for the game and my first goals, I really wanted to score for Spain,” Pedrisaid on Saturday.
“I’ve worked very hard this season and have had some setbacks — injuries are the worst things in football. But I’m feeling very good now physically. I’m really looking forward to the Euros starting.”
Pedri was speaking after scoring twice in Spain’s 5-1 friendly winagainst Northern Irelandin Mallorca, their last match before their opening game of the European Championshipagainst Croatiaon Saturday.
The “first goals” line might have led to a double take from some given the Barcelonamidfielder made his senior debut for Spain in March 2021, has appeared at a Euros and a World Cup finals since then, and has been widely hailed as an outstanding creative talent.
But the mentions of injuries and setbacks give an indication of why he has had to wait so long for those goals. The game against Northern Ireland was his 20th senior cap. His 19th, against Andorra last Wednesday, was his first appearance for La Roja since the 2022 World Cup 18 months ago and he has suffered seven different muscle injuriesover the past three seasons.
A few weeks ago, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente publicly doubted whether Pedri would even make the final squad for this summer’s Euros in Germany after another club campaign in which he was questioned more than ever before.
Still only 21, the next month will give Pedri the opportunity to make up for lost time and prove his quality and his fitness.
A Canary Islands native, Pedri arrived at Barca in summer 2020 from then-second-division side Las Palmas, aged 17. He immediately established himself in their first team alongside boyhood heroes Lionel Messiand Sergio Busquets, made his Spain Under-21 debut that October, and by March had been fast-tracked into the senior side by head coach Luis Enrique.
At the delayed Euro 2020, Pedri was named young player of the tournament after putting in a series of mature and influential performances to help La Roja reach the semi-finals. He was the only Spain player chosen in the tournament’s official XI — with his creativity and control drawing comparisons to Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
Pedri’s first senior season stretched all the way to August’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, where a team coached by De la Fuente reached the final before being beaten by Brazil. That meant he played 73 games in less than 12 months for club and country.
It was too much for a teenager still new to the demands of senior football — The Athleticreported the FIFPro players union’s concerns he needed a proper rest. But within a week of returning from Japan, he was starting the opening La Ligagame of the 2021-22 season.
Within a fortnight, he suffered the first muscle injury of his career. It was the start of a frustrating run in which he would suffer injury and work hard on returning quickly but break down again. The problems were not just in one area, with muscles in different zones of both legs affected.
During the past three seasons, Pedri’s longest run of fitness was the five months from the start of 2022-23 through to the four games at the World Cup in Qatar. But he suffered yet another right thigh muscle injury in February last year. After returning within a month, he soon picked up a hamstring strain that meant he missed Spain’s UEFA Nations League win last June.
Pedri made changes to his preparation and diet last summer. He worked with a personal trainer to strengthen his core against strains and stresses. He took up pilates. He ditched his mother’s croquettes from his family’s restaurant in Tenerife.
But just two games into this most recent season, he suffered another hamstring tear, which led to tensions with Barca’s coaching and medical departments. Some felt there had been too much pressure on him to return, especially for Clasicos or the Champions Leagueknockout stages.
Everyone knew Barca were better with a fit Pedri in their XI, but the cumulative effect of continuously rushing him back from injury was doing serious damage to his career.
There was more frustration in March when Pedri left the pitch in tears after yet another right thigh muscle injury, against Athletic Bilbao. Yet he was back within five weeks for Barca’s April quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Coming on with an hour gone and Xavi’s side 2-1 down, he almost immediately provided a brilliant assist for Raphinha’s equaliser and Barca went on to win 3-2.
The second leg did not go so well. Pedri started but struggled to get up to pace, especially after Ronald Araujo’s sending-off left Barca with 10 men after half an hour. He was withdrawn with Barca behind on aggregate and en route to a damaging exit from the tournament.
Five days later, Pedri was left on the bench for Barca’s La Liga visit to the Santiago Bernabeu. After entering at half-time, some commentators blamed him for being outrun by the 38-year-old Luka Modricin the build-up to Jude Bellingham’s winning goal for Madrid.
That took place amid growing noise and rumours about alleged issues with his lifestyle. “You’re absolute idiots and liars,” his brother Fernando said on social media in April in response to a fan who claimed partying was a problem.
The reports were not credible, but they pointed to the pressure-cooker atmosphereat Barcelona — where such controversies are often fed by different interests around the club.
Xavi’s comments in public and selection decisions also sent mixed messages. Pedri started just four of Barca’s final 10 games of the season and completed 90 minutes once.
Some felt Pedri was finally getting the protection he needed, but it was an indication he was no longer an automatic starter, with Xavi often preferring the energy and freshness of Fermin Lopez, only six months younger than Pedri but in his first season as a senior pro.
Doubts over Pedri’s physical and mental recovery emerged within the Spain setup. When announcing his preliminary squad for the Euros, De la Fuente said he wanted to judge his state of body and mind first-hand.
“Nobody doubts Pedri’s talent or that he is a great footballer,” the coach said. “All players have moments of form. He’s finding his rhythm. Pedri gives us a chance to play in different ways if he makes the final 26 (man squad).”
Manchester Citymidfielder Rodrishowed similar caution at a pre-Euros media day.
“Pedri has had a really difficult spell with injuries,” he told The Athletic. “He was obviously a very important player for us before. Now he has to get back to his rhythm, to return again to his previous level.”
Pedri wore the No 20 against Andorra as he pulled on a Spain shirt for the first time in 18 months.
He endured a frustrating first half against a side who defended deep but looked more comfortable as the game progressed, helping to set up Spain’s second goal. He then had to watch from the bench as club team-mate Fermin played a role in the final three goals of a 5-0 victory in an eye-catching international debut.
The second warm-up game against Northern Ireland began with a fright, as Sunderlanddefender Daniel Ballard headed the visitors in front after two minutes. Spain were still wobbling 10 minutes later when Pedri picked up the ball between the lines. He immediately turned, carried it forward and lashed a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
His show of leadership and talent steadied Spain. Alvaro Morata’s header made it 2-1 and Pedri was central to everything they did in an advanced midfield role. His second goal was a confident, first-time finish from eight yards out after Nico Williams’ direct run and cutback.
“I always said Pedri needed to find himself again and he has now,” De la Fuente said. “The player himself has to take that step forward, to return the confidence shown in him and feel secure so he can show how good he is.”
Speaking from Spain’s Euros base in the Black Forest town of Donaueschingen on Tuesday, Pedri brushed off the idea that a fear of injuring himself again had ever inhibited his performances on the pitch.
Still, the last years have not been easy for him. There have been moments when he has felt alone and at the mercy of circumstances beyond his control.
All the turmoil at Barcelona — on and off the pitch — has impacted his fitness and reputation. His relationship with childhood hero Xavi did not end as either would have hoped.
Pedri remains a shy kid, happiest when on the pitch playing football, but that quiet exterior has always hidden an ambitious and determined core, without which he could not have gone in 12 months from the second division with Las Palmas to lighting up Euro 2020.
This summer offers an opportunity to put a lot of pain and frustration behind him. The hope for both Spain and Barca is they are yet to see the best Pedri.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5555451/2024/06/12/pedri-barcelona-spain-euro-2024/
