Gerard Martín gave an exclusive interview to Sport, discussing his experiences playing as a fullback under Flick, his interactions with young teammates like Yamal, the arrival of Rodri, the rapid changes in his career, and Barcelona's goals for the season. Below is the second part of the interview.

Related reading: [Gerard Martín: Yamal is the best player today, deserves to win the Ballon d'Or]

It must feel great to see those young players from Barcelona Atletic, who are all roughly the same age, now playing together in the first team. Although some have left, most are peers, and the first team is almost like a "kindergarten." You must know each other well and have a great relationship?

Yes, everyone is very young, so the locker room atmosphere is fantastic. But at the same time, there are also experienced veterans on the team, and this mix of young and old is very beneficial for the entire team.

Speaking of new faces, a few days ago, a video of you and Adeyemi at Sevilla went viral online. You seemed to be explaining something about the match ball to him?

Right, during the warm-up in the second half, we ran out of training balls. There were only a few balls identical to the match ball on the sidelines, and those balls were strictly forbidden to be touched prematurely. I was explaining this to him at the time.

Does this kind of over-interpretation from the outside bother you? Or are these videos shared in the team's WhatsApp group for laughs?

It doesn't bother us at all; many of the videos are actually quite funny (laughs).

Speaking of Adeyemi, he's quite the lively character, isn't he?

Yes, he has a very humorous and witty personality.

Could you briefly comment on a few of your new teammates, just a short paragraph for each? Let's start with Adeyemi, what do you think of him?

He is a very genuine, humorous, and funny person, always smiling and fully dedicated to the team.

What about Gordon?

Gordon seems more serious, but he's actually quite funny. He might be a bit more introverted, but I get along very well with him, and he's maintained a very high level of performance since the beginning.

How about Bísuma?

Bísuma is a very young guy, extremely talented, I think he was born in 2008. He's very gifted, but he's still very young and needs to accumulate experience and refine his skills step by step.

Many people have mentioned the impact Rodri has had on the team; on the field, it's as if he grew up here. What are your thoughts on his arrival and influence?

He is a world-class player who is accustomed to a possession-based style of play, so he integrated very quickly. He has a wealth of experience in major competitions and performs brilliantly in crucial moments of a match.

The transfer of Rodri was kept incredibly secret. Do you remember where you were and your reaction when you found out Rodri was really coming to Barcelona?

I remember being in the locker room when a news alert popped up on my phone, and I exclaimed, "Oh my God, he's really coming!"

And your teammates? Were they all shocked too?

Yes, everyone was shocked.

The last new signing is Hamza. What can you share about him based on your observations?

Hamza is indeed a bit more shy, but he is very, very hardworking, has an excellent character, and also possesses immense potential.

I want to talk about Szczesny. He mentioned in an earlier interview that after the Inter Milan match, he saw you very upset in the locker room. He recalled wearing a bathrobe and then acting as a psychological counselor, advising you that you would play many more semifinals in the future and that you should learn from that experience.

Yes, he has a lot of experience. He sat next to me and asked why I was upset, telling me to look at where I was a year and a half ago and what I had achieved by then. He also told me that in a long career, you will lose many games, but the most important thing is the ultimate goal and the trophy.

Just now, off-camera, we were also discussing it. Although that semifinal was very painful, do you agree that that match actually proved you had joined the ranks of top fullbacks, and could even be considered your best performance to date? Do you think there's any other match that could surpass the one against Inter Milan?

Considering the stage and strategic significance of the match, I think it truly was a statement game, and very likely my best performance. Perhaps one or two other games could match it in terms of quality, but delivering two assists in a Champions League semifinal carries far more weight than an ordinary league or group stage match.

One thing is truly incredible: since you joined Barcelona, you seem to have never suffered an injury, which is a miracle in the locker room and even throughout the club. What's the secret?

Actually, I broke a bone in my hand while with the national team in the summer, but besides that, no. I don't know what to say; I always try my best to take care of my body, and so far, I've been fortunate enough not to get injured. I hope this good fortune continues.

You also paid for extra training during the off-season, and before pre-season, we saw you went to a clinic for medical guidance. How did this help you? What's the significance of preparing so far in advance?

Due to various scheduling, we had a month and a half off, and you can't just do nothing for that period and then immediately join team training. To be in good physical condition at the beginning of pre-season, I started training early; otherwise, I would have been completely behind when training started.

Having the same agent throughout your entire career, and now your brother assisting you, does this give you a strong sense of security?

I've been working with this agent for about six or seven years, and now my brother is also involved, which is crucial for me. In this circle, various interests abound, and it's very important to stand with people who have accompanied me throughout my journey and witnessed my beginnings. I'm very grateful to them; even though my career has undergone a huge transformation, I have no reason to change agents because they are the ones who walked this journey with me.

Regarding your contract renewal, the club has unofficially stated multiple times that details are being finalized. From what we understand, there are no obstacles on your end, and if it were up to you, you'd be willing to play here until retirement, right?

Of course, I am very eager to play here for many years. I'm about to reach 100 first-team appearances soon, and I hope to reach another 100 after that, playing for as long as I can.

If they offered you a lifetime contract, would you sign it?

Absolutely. Although it needs to be earned through performance, I am 100% willing. Everything is going very well so far.

Rodri recently stated that Barcelona is not yet the biggest favorite for the Champions League, and the team still needs further refinement and improvement. What do you think about the outside world labeling the team as favorites?

Honestly, whether we're seen as favorites or not is the same to me, because our goal is always to win the Champions League. Being labeled favorites won't bring extra pressure, and not being favored won't lighten our burden; our attitude remains consistent. As for what the outside world says, let them say it. We will only focus on our own path and do our utmost to win the trophy.

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