Fermín: Flick is very close to us; he always cares about us and gives us confidence

Barcelona midfielder Fermín López was interviewed by GQ, discussing his growth experience, his career at Barcelona and the Spanish national team, Lamine Yamal, Flick, and Luis de la Fuente, among other topics. This is the second part of the interview.

When did you first think, "Oh my God, this could really be my profession, I could be a professional player and make a living from it"?

I would say it was after I returned from my loan spell at Linares Deportivo. It was preseason then, and I joined the first team for training and scored against Real Madrid. I feel like from that point, my story changed somewhat.

After all that happened, I really started to feel like I had entered the world of professional football and could become a professional player at the highest level. That had always been my dream.

I guess so, but do you truly believe it now? I'm not talking about that "I'm the best" kind of belief, but have you truly realized, "I'm here now, and I'm going to stay at the top level"?

I don't think about these things very often, because everything in my life has happened so fast that many times you don't even stop to think about what you're experiencing or what you've achieved. But sometimes, when I'm lying in bed or talking to family and friends about everything that's happened, that's when I truly appreciate my current position and what I do every day.

So I always try to enjoy every day.

You've said before that you had a difficult time when you first joined La Masia because you were very young and perhaps not fully mature physically or mentally. During those difficult times, or when you were struggling, what did you rely on to persevere and keep going?

I always told myself that I was at Barcelona. For me, being able to join La Masia and play for Barcelona's youth teams at various levels was already my dream, a dream come true.

So when things didn't go well, I would hold on to that. I really cherish my position and everything I've achieved. And life always has many changes, so I have to keep fighting for what I want.

So in your life, when things aren't going well and you need advice, help, or comfort, who is that person you can rely on?

Since I left home at 13 to go to La Masia, I would say it's always been my parents. Because they have been very important in my life and throughout my growth. Whenever I was not doing well, I would go to them, and they always supported and helped me.

So I would say they are two very important people in my life. They have always been with me and have accompanied me throughout this entire process.

I don't know if you can answer this question yourself, but there are many, many children like you who also have dreams and have entered La Masia or other important youth academies, but after a while, they ultimately couldn't continue. What do you think is different or special about you that allowed you to persevere and achieve this dream?

This question is difficult for me to answer because I don't really like to talk about myself. But I think I've always had talent, otherwise I wouldn't have been at Barcelona from a young age.

But I think what really made me different from my other teammates is that I never had it easy. And that helped me mature earlier from a young age, taught me patience, self-discipline, and made me work harder than everyone else. Because sometimes, both physically and mentally, I couldn't reach the level of my teammates.

And these experiences have helped me get to where I am today and achieve everything I have now.

This story reminds me of Luka Modrić. Of course, their situations and clubs are different. Modrić was also very small as a child, and everyone said he couldn't become a professional player, that he didn't have the physical condition for professional football. But he always said that if necessary, he would run twice as much, work twice as hard, but he would become a professional player no matter what.

Perhaps so. My experience is indeed quite similar to Luka's. I think he is a unique and incredible player. I experienced something similar when I was young, so I've always had this mindset of working harder than others, maintaining self-discipline and consistency, being patient during difficult times, and then continuing to fight.

I think ultimately these things helped me make a difference and allowed me to get to where I am today.

Do you remember the first day you walked into the Barcelona first-team changing room?

It was very shocking, truly very shocking. Because I had just come back from Linares Deportivo, which was a completely different world from the Barcelona first team. And then you suddenly walk into a changing room with Ter Stegen, Lewandowski, Pedri, and many players of that caliber.

It was really overwhelming for me. And to be honest, just being able to train with them made me very happy.

What do you do when you arrive in a changing room like that? Do you start asking everyone for autographs?

There is indeed that urge. Sometimes I also think about asking them for a photo or a jersey. But most of the time, you just stay quietly in your spot and don't talk much because you hardly know them.

They are all people you used to look up to as idols. A year ago, you would play with them on PlayStation or watch them on TV, and now you are training with them. It is indeed a bit overwhelming, and I was also quite shy at first.

I think athletes also pay attention to athletes in other sports to see how they succeed. Outside of football, who are your role models in other sports?

Spain has many athletes worth learning from, but I would say Rafael Nadal. I think for all Spaniards, he is a role model athlete. With everything he embodies and his achievements, he will always be a role model.

I think he is also a role model for a new generation, and we are proud that he is Spanish.

At Barcelona and the Spanish national team, you have two very different coaches, Flick and Luis de la Fuente. What qualities do you admire most about each of them? What helps you perform at your best?

Regarding Flick, I would say he is very demanding, but also very close to the players. He has helped me improve a lot on the field because he demands the highest standards from you in all aspects of the game.

At the same time, he is very close to the players because he always cares about your situation and gives you confidence so you can show your strengths.

I would say these two things are key to being able to play my best football at Barcelona.

As for Luis, I would basically say similar things. There are indeed some similarities between them. Luis is also very close to the players. Since I joined the national team, he has given me a lot of confidence and helped me continuously improve. In the past few national team camps, I've gotten a lot of playing time, and I'm very grateful to him because he has always believed in me.

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