The new central defender of FC Barcelona, Iñigo Martínez, gave an interview published on the team's website in which he analyzed his arrival at the current LaLiga champion, the role he will play in the team's defense and who has been his reference among the club's footballers.
"There are great centre-backs, some with little time in cullers, but it has been seen that they get along well. They have worked well in all aspects", he commented on the competition he will have with footballers like Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Jules Koundé or Éric García.
The defense is clear that it will not be easy for him to gain a place in the starting lineup, but he knows that his past supports him. "Obviously playing so many years as a starter and with so many coaches that you go through means that the work you are doing is good (...) Now, without a doubt, there will be times when you will have to be out, but Barça is a team and what interests you is winning because it is good for the group and above all you have to show camaraderie", he sentenced.
Martínez also believes that his experience at Athletic and Real Sociedad will help him deal with the pressure of hanging up his Barça shirt. "Obviously, there will always be more pressure. But any player who has been in football for a long time adapts and knows how to handle it (...) Now I land at another great club, which aspires to everything, where I can grow even more. Arriving at Barça is a privilege that not everyone can experience and I hope to make the most of this opportunity".
Precisely about the team he arrives at, he has a clear responsibility to defend the shield of a club like FC Barcelona. "Everything that this shield entails, everything that he has achieved during these years, is an extra motivation that one likes to face this type of situation, to live these experiences. I have no doubt that we will do well," said Martínez.
"It is a fact that Barça is very defined and every time I came to the Camp Nou I suffered and the games seemed to last forever; and I, as a defender, can guarantee it. The truth is that it's nice to see Barça play", said the defender about the style of play of the team led by Xavi, to whom he also dedicated a few words.
"He has congratulated me on my arrival. He has placed confidence in me that this is very important for a player. The truth is that I have had little time to talk because these days I have trained on the sidelines for my recovery, but over the course of these days we will talk more and better".
In addition, the culé signing also made known a historical footballer of the club that he has as a reference. "Barça has had great players for a long time, but in recent years I have had a reference who has been my teammate in the national team, Sergio Busquets. He represents what Barça is in all facets," said Martínez about the player whom he will not be able to have as a teammate in Barcelona due to his recent departure to Inter Miami of the MLS.
The man born in Vizcaya also had words about what it means to leave the Basque Country for the first time in his career. "I've been in my territory for a long time, in my comfort zone. In the end there comes a point where you need a change of scenery and since I had the call from Barça I saw it with good eyes (...) But the truth is that I arrive happy, content and wanting to meet new people, another city, another lifestyle. I'm very excited for my new stage to begin".
Finally he sent a message to the fans about the objectives that are drawn from the squad for the following season. "The team is going to give 200%. An exciting year is expected with a young squad with a lot of ambition. We want to continue with the same trend as last year, that the team was very good. It is a project that shows ambition and, little by little, we want to add more victories and more titles", concluded Martínez.
