Pedro González López Pedri (Tegueste, Tenerife 2002) is known as an important footballer who enjoys the love he receives at the club of his life. But he still doesn’t feel essential. Every day he strives to continue fulfilling his goals. If he has to stop for a summer to rest and recover, he does it without qualms. Asked about his future after the siren songs coming from Paris and after the outbreak of the Dembélé case, Pedri clarifies in this talk with La Vanguardia that he does not want to listen to offers. In fact, he dreams of being captain of Barcelona “when he is older.”
Is beating Real Madrid a sign that things are going well?
We had just lost against Arsenal and it was important to win. Even if it’s a preseason game, a classic is a classic. Although it is too early to draw conclusions, leaving with a good feeling was important to face the season.
You already said that Fermín López would make a difference…
The young people who climb give off a lot of self-confidence and simplicity. Fermin is one of them. Training surprised me a lot. I know that he is a player who, beyond his quality and talent, really wants to conquer the world. He is also a very good person, a very calm guy. I hope he stays with us.
He has lived a very quiet summer without international commitments. How is she?
It has been a different summer. I prefer to be in the field. But it had been a long time since he had rested and he needed it to be fresher. There are times when, even if you don’t want to, you have to stop for a bit, look at how you are, mentally disconnect from footballer routines and take care of yourself. I have followed the nutrition guidelines they gave me and I have prepared myself physically.
He has given up eating his mother’s croquettes. Have her classmates tried them?
No (laughs). No one has tried them because they haven’t been to my parents’ tavern in Tegüeste. But when they come to visit me, I still ask my mother to make me some.
Was it hard for you to give up playing?
We all decide. I was aware that I was coming from a time in which I had suffered many injuries and I wanted to turn the page to be ready. I knew that I had to stop and transform the negative energy that comes after an injury into positive vibrations. I have come to the conclusion that you cannot play so many games without stopping. You have to rest so as not to injure yourself.
But they say that without Pedri, Barça is no longer Barça…
I do not think it is like that. We have a good squad. I try to help where I can on and off the pitch. But above all I seek to enjoy football. That’s when things work out best for me.
So you don’t feel essential?
I feel like an important piece. But I think that no one in the group is essential, we are all here to row together. The collective is what makes the difference.
Has Dembélé told you that he is leaving?
Ousmane is a calm and discreet person who doesn’t talk much about this kind of thing. Personally I have seen him enjoy this pre-season with the team and these years that we have shared. I hope he stays.
How are the new signings adapting?
It is a spectacle to see Gundogan train. Iñigo Martínez is a pity that he has plantar fasciitis. I hope he’ll be with us soon because he always seemed like a top-level footballer to me. I had already seen Oriol Romeu at Girona. He seems to me a very suitable footballer to replace Busquets.
But there are a lot of people in the midfield…
I think it’s the best thing that can happen to us. Having competition in the midfield makes us great. In the end, Barcelona’s game goes through there. Having so many people is a blessing for Xavi, who is the one who has to decide.
How is the competition managed with a player who occupies the same position?
We all have a very good relationship. We know that anyone can play and that individually puts you on alert. Competition makes us and the team better.
What has Xavi asked you for this year?
Last year he had to reach ten goals and ten assists. I did not get it. When I got back from the holidays, Xavi told me that this year he had to meet that mark.
Will we see a different Barcelona?
We will not change the typical 4-3-3, but at the offensive level there is some modification with a 3-4-3 in attack. It is one of the formulas that we like the most. We have a lot of superiority inside and that is very beneficial because it helps us control the ball and when the team counterattacks we are more compact behind.
In a locker room you talk about signings and players who can leave?
Things always come out. For example, I am talking about the signings of Las Palmas. I always follow them and I have already said that I really want to go to the Canary Islands to play against them and of course I really want to receive them in Barcelona. I wish you the best of luck.
You are a good friend of Ferran Torres. How are you?
Ferran is very calm, he is a very hard-working guy who hardly listens to what is said outside. He is training very hard. He will give us a lot. We don’t talk or read about what happens. We are focused on playing.
Have you received tempting offers?
I am calm and focused on the tour. I’m not aware of what they say on other sites. I only think about preparing for the preseason and enjoying Barça.
So Pedri stays?
Yes. For sure. I am very calm here. Enjoying, focused on the tour and focused on being ready to play.
Apart from PSG, has anyone else come looking for you?
I am not aware of the offers that come to me. That is received by my representatives. I tell them that if they want to listen, they should do it. And they will tell me but that I am focused on what is mine, which is to train, play and enjoy. But many things have to happen for me to leave this club. It would have to be very bad and very unpleasant. I see it as very unlikely, Barça is the club of my dreams and I want to stay for many more years.
He has a contract until 2026. Will we see him as a blaugrana in 2027 at the new Spotify Camp Nou?
Hopefully. I think it will be an incredible stadium, crazy. Personally I think it is a very good project and you have to enjoy it. Not only us but also the people who come to see us.
And what message do you send to the fans so that they go to Montjuïc?
that we need them That they have to be with the team through thick and thin. We are going to make them enjoy. We are going to go all out this season.
Does it give respect that Mbappé goes to Real Madrid?
I do not focus on what comes out but on those who are. And at the moment Mbappé is a PSG player. We’ll see what happens. But it is clear that he is a great player.
And Messi in Miami…
Everyone would have liked to have him back. But it was a decision that he and the club had to make. I have been able to watch some of his Inter Miami games and I think that with Busquets and Alba they are going to enjoy the experience a lot. And the people with them.
They elected captains in Los Angeles. What captains did you vote for?
I voted for De Jong and Araújo. And they are the ones who came out. They deserved it more than anyone. They have been at the club for many years and I think they show the image that a captain should give.
Did you also have votes… Would you like to be?
Who doesn’t want to be captain of their dream team? I know someone voted for me but I think I’m still too young for that.
Brands don’t think the same…
I have a team that help me a lot. They present me with the options that I receive, they advise me. In the end I end up choosing what I like and what makes me feel comfortable. It is very important to me that the people I talk to convey positive things to me, that they match my values.
Does it bother you to talk about your private life?
I prefer to separate things and simply be identified with my profession, which is footballer. But I am a public figure. There are many things that transcend. Some are true and some are not. Being lied to is what I don’t like.
What can this team aspire to right now?
We will fight for everything. Last year we managed to win the League and the Super Cup but we have the thorn in the Champions League and that is why reviving in Europe is our main objective.
