He is only 17 years old, but it seems like he has been playing elite football all his life, always "calmly." Pau Cubarsí made his debut in the Champions League in the round of 16 match against Naples and ended up being fundamental, elected MVP of the match, in Barça's qualification for the quarterfinals of the highest continental competition (3-1).
"It has been one of the best days of my life. The MVP trophy is deserved by the entire team. I am very happy, but we are a group. We are all happy with the work we have done," said the young center back, who conveyed before the media the same calmness that radiates on the field of play: "I like to play calmly. In duels I always try to give 200%."
The match was transcendental for Barça, with a lot at stake, but the team managed to channel that feeling into energy on the field, especially in a great first half hour in which they scored the first two goals. "We have gone from pressure to ambition," said Cubarsí, always a winner in his duels with Osimhen, one of the best center forwards in the world.
"It's incredible, he was the best in the game. He's been surprising us all season long. With that calmness. He's a player who should be here all his life. He's also very humble and hard-working. When it's said that Barça is more than just a club is for these things. It is an honor to have players like that," he praised Sergi Roberto from Girona, who acted as a catalyst in the second half.
"Happy to be able to participate with the team. I could have finished but the play turned out perfectly. I saw Lewandowski alone," he said about the third goal, the one that closed the pass, where Reus's player created a wall with Gündogan and gave up the both on a plate to the Polish striker in the 83rd minute of the game.
The Blaugrana captain, who usually appears in important matches, described the match in Montjuïc against the Italians that marked their place in the quarterfinals as "an incredible night." "Four years without being where we deserve. Very happy. Now to enjoy this moment. The fans have been with us and that is very important. We need this atmosphere every game," concluded the Catalan.
Another of the great protagonists of the night was Fermín, scorer of the first goal of the game and especially important in that great staging of the Blaugrana. "We have always believed in Xavi. We feel liberated because he gives us peace of mind," said the Andalusian about the Terrassa coach, who in principle will leave office at the end of the season. The midfielder assured that he noticed "the strength of the fans" in a "special" match.
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