FC Barcelona manager Xavi on young star: “He needs to believe that he’s a good player”

FC Barcelona walked away with 3 points against Seville last night returning to the top of the La Liga table, if only for 24 hours. Girona host Real Madrid today and a win for either team would send them top of the league.

One of the standout performers from that 1-0 win was 20-year-old midfielder and La Masia product Fermin Lopez.

The young Andalusian midfielder rescued a point for Barcelona at Mallorca in the week, coming off the bench to score the final goal in a 2-2 draw.

The talented and skilful central midfielder gave Barcelona energy in the middle of the park following his arrival in the 33rd minute for Raphinha, who was forced off through injury.

His understanding and relationship with Gavi were evident from the moment he came on, both players are very capable of attacking and defending and they worked well together to ensure that Barca was never caught shorthanded in either situation.

FC Barcelona manager Xavi offers some advice for Fermin Lopez

Following the game Xavi was full of praise for Lopez, and instead of trying to keep his feet grounded, he spoke about the importance of Lopez having self-belief in his own ability.

Speaking after the game he said:

"“Fermin has played very well, he’s a top player. I hope he will be at the club for a very long time,” he said.“Fermin is a great player. He doesn’t lose balls. He has one-on-one dribbling, he can shoot from outside the box. He has many conditions to be a Barça player for many years. He’s very generous, and I’m so happy for him.”“If Fermín believes in himself, he can mark an era at Barça. He needs to believe that he’s a good player, that he can consistently put up good performances.”"

Lopez will be hoping that his performances in La Liga will result in a starting nod against Porto in the Champions League in midweek, and while Xavi may elect for the experience of Romeu, especially on the road, there’s a chance that Lopez will get his starting nod soon, considering Frenkie de Jong and Pedri are both expected to miss a good portion of October.