Fermin Lopez credits Flick for newfound maturity as he marks 150 Barcelona games

Fermin Lopez celebrated his 150th appearance for Barcelona in the win over Aston Villa this week. He broke into the first‑team squad in the 2023/24 season under head coach Xavi Hernandez.

New level under Flick

The 23‑year‑old La Masia graduate has become a mainstay in the side. In his 150 matches for Barcelona he has recorded 38 goals and 35 assists while winning five trophies. He says his level has risen since German manager Hansi Flick took charge, particularly in front of goal.

In an extensive interview with he discussed his goalscoring instincts and the milestone. He remarked, “I never imagined reaching 150 games with Barça’s first team, and I hope there will be many more.” Across his Barcelona career he scores or assists a goal every 108 minutes, an impressive rate for a non‑striker.

He describes his knack for finding the penalty area as innate, saying it has been part of his game since childhood. He added that his direct style and forward‑thinking mentality have always driven him to create scoring chances. This season his goal‑or‑assist frequency has improved to one every 72 minutes.

He attributes the improvement to greater maturity, noting he is calmer when deciding to pass, run or shoot. He noted that his tally of 38 goals matches the number Diego Maradona scored for Barcelona, but he refuses to compare himself. When asked whether he prefers scoring or assisting, he said he prefers scoring, though assists also satisfy him.

While Xavi gave him his break, he credits Hansi Flick for teaching him game‑reading and composure. He explained that Flick has given him “a lot of maturity” in all aspects of the game. He acknowledged his intensity fits Flick’s style but warned he must temper it to avoid injuries or dismissals, and he will continue to give his all while learning to control his passion.