"Generates great hope for us for the present and the future" - Manager hails Barcelona youngster as he earns first call up to the Spain senior side
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente spoke about Barcelona youngster Pau Cubarsi after the teenager was handed a first invitation to the Spanish national team. Cubarsi has earned his international call-up after impressing for Barcelona since becoming a regular in the second half of the season.
Barca manager Xavi turned to him when his side had problems in defense, with the highly-rated academy graduate making his debut this season. The 17-year-old has emerged as one of the finest young defenders in Europe, and he has shown his quality in recent weeks.
De la Fuente spoke to the media after the announcement was made of his squad for this month's matches. The manager praised Cubarsi and revealed that he is not surprised by his performance despite his tender years. He said via Barca Universal:
“We all have no doubt about Cubarsi’s talent and quality. We’re not surprised but maybe the audience is surprised because they haven’t seen him much. We do not look at ID (age), we only look at performance."
The manager also shared his hopes of Cubarsi making a huge impact on the national team over the coming years, adding:
“Cubarsi is experiencing a great moment and generates great hope for us for the present and the future. We want to count on him for many years.”
He also spoke about taking the club's permission to invite the young defender, revealing his joy at Cubarsi's participation, saying:
"We’ve known him since he was 15 years old. He has earned it with his performance at FC Barcelona. Everything has been agreed with the senior team. We are delighted that Pau is going. This is the objective, that they are ready to make the leap.”
Pau Cubarsi was immense in his UEFA Champions League debut against Napoli, helping Barcelona eliminate the Italian club 4-2 in the Round of 16. He silenced Africa's Player of the Year Victor Osimhen throughout the game and was named Player of the Match.
Barcelona draw PSG in the UEFA Champions League
Barcelona are set to face French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League this season. La Blaugrana will face the French outfit for the first time since 2021, when PSG won 5-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16.
The Spanish champions reached the quarterfinals of the competition for the first time post-Lionel Messi era, with Xavi leading them to the last eight. Their opponents, however, are the same side that eliminated them in the Round of 16 in 2021.
Treble-winning manager Luis Enrique will return to the Spanish side for the first time as an opposition manager since winning the treble in 2015. With Kylian Mbappe in the side, PSG will provide a stern test for the Spanish side.