‘He’s an extraordinary guy’… Luis de la Fuente talks about Barcelona midfielder’s unique double Spain call-up | OneFootball

FC Barcelona enjoyed a brilliant 2024/25 season on all fronts. Under Hansi Flick, in his first season in charge of the club, the Catalan club wrapped up a domestic treble and also gave a good account of themselves in the Champions League.

As the squad now disperses for an end-of-season break, some players still have some football left to play with the Nations League on the horizon. Some other youngsters also have the U-21 Euros to play in come June.

Uniquely, for Barcelona, they have a player who has made it to both the senior Spain squad and the U-21 squad. Fermin Lopez has received the distinction of being in both squads at the same time and he looks set to have a busy off-season ahead of him.

Luis de la Fuente has made some bold calls for his Spain team. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Luis de la Fuente appreciates Fermin

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was asked about this situation, where the 22-year-old was picked for both squads and as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, here is what he had to say:

“He has been spoken to, and the player is in a good frame of mind, and so is the club. That alignment of interests: everything is fantastic. He’s an extraordinary guy, with exceptional energy.”

Fermin also had a similar situation last summer when he was picked for both the Euros with the senior squad and then the Olympics with the U-23 squad. He balled out in Paris and was easily the best player in the tournament.

The 22-year-old has finished the season with Barcelona in incredible fashion. Despite a slow start to the 2024/25 campaign, Fermin made up for lost time with brilliant performances in 2025, whether it came from the start or from the bench.

Fermin had a brilliant Olympics campaign last summer. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

A key figure in the U-21 Euros?

Fermin wasn’t and is still not Hansi Flick’s first name on the team sheet. What is impressive, though is how well he takes his chances irrespective of which position they come in. Judging by his improvement, one has to say that the Spaniard still has a very high ceiling to hit.

Luis de la Fuente clearly values what Fermin brings to the table and he has been a regular in the senior Spain team for some time now. However, he is unlikely to get many minutes in the Nations League with other stars also present.

While Fermin may see limited minutes in the Nations League, he’s expected to be a key figure for Spain’s U-21 side this summer. With form on his side and a growing presence in both club and country setups, the 22-year-old has the opportunity to cement his reputation. All eyes will be on him as he leads the charge in the U-21 Euros.