Barcelona star downplays concerns of ego within squad after Flick comments – ‘We share a common goal’ | OneFootball

Barcelona dropped two points last Sunday away to Rayo Vallecano in a poor performance from Hansi Flick’s side as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Estadio de Vallecas.

Following the match, the German coach reacted with a lengthy post-match talk in the dressing room and later, in his press conference, demanded self-criticism while warning that “egos kill success.”

Several Barcelona players have responded to Flick’s comments in recent days, and Dani Olmo has now given his opinion on the matter.

No ego problem, insists Olmo

Speaking in an interview with Catalunya Radio (h/t SPORT), Olmo claimed that Flick had given them the same message face-to-face before going public, and insisted that the situation has been overblown and that there are no problems within the squad.

“The objective is clear and it’s a team effort. We all want to play and win, and we share a common goal. There are no concerns within the squad, and there is a good relationship between all the players,” said Olmo.

“You can’t make a big deal out of a draw; you have to keep working. We are a young team that wants to win and there are no problems in the dressing room,” he further stated.

“We have things to improve, but we are not worried, we know the goal and we know we have to work. At the end of the day, it’s a draw on a difficult pitch.”

Dani Olmo downplays concerns. (Photo by Paul Miller/Getty Images)

The midfielder admitted he was unhappy at being substituted in Vallecas – “because I always want to play, especially in these games that are still up for grabs” – but set out his targets for the season.

“We’ve had a great year with Barça and we want to repeat that. Also with the national team in next summer’s World Cup. I want to have continuity. I feel great and I’m eager to contribute. The goal is to improve on last season’s numbers,” he said.

Talking about Fermin Lopez and the transfer links to Chelsea, he welcomed the youngster’s decision to stay at Barcelona, saying:

“We’re celebrating. He’s a very important player for the team, who gives us and has given us a lot, and I’m sure he will this year as well.”

Olmo believes that, after the transfer window closed, Barça are well-equipped to compete for everything this season.

“It’s a competitive squad. We’ve had a significant loss with Inigo, but we’ve had some good additions. It’s a world-class squad that can compete for everything,” he said.

“The Champions League? We have to take it step by step. It hasn’t started yet. We had a good campaign last season, but you can’t live on that. These are new challenges, new teams, but we have the squad to go for it,” Olmo concluded.