Dro speculation annoys Flick ahead of Barca trip
Hansi Flick suggested Dro Fernandez may be being influenced by his agent amid surprising reports the promising Barcelona prospect wants to leave the LaLiga champion.
The Barcelona boss addressed Dro's future in his pre-match press conference before Monday's (AEDT) trip to Real Sociedad, where the Blaugrana will hope to make it 10 straight LaLiga victories.
Barca could also move four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid with a win, but the line of questioning before the fixture all centred on Dro.
The 18-year-old has appeared five times for the senior side this season, but reports suggest Dro wants to leave this month by not renewing his youth contract and exercising his current €6 million ($10.4 million) release clause.
A host of Europe's elite clubs are said to be on high alert to sign the Barcelona prospect, with Paris Saint-Germain chief among them, and Flick suggested Dro's desire to move has been influenced by those advising him.
"We’re in the world of football, and sometimes things happen. You may not agree with what someone does, but they’re adults," Flick said.
"There are people around them who might be inciting them. I don’t want to answer this question because, as a coach, what I do is give the players confidence.
"You try to believe in them so they can grow. I also know there are people around them. I want to wait until this is all in the past. If they decide to change clubs, then we’ll deal with it. Now is not the time."
Flick also says performances in training and on the pitch will see Barcelona players earn their starting spots.
"For me, it’s about training every day. I have a lot of experience in this area. It’s about helping them see their potential," he added.
"These are areas where we can help them. As I said before, they’re on one of the best teams in the world; it’s not easy to get playing time.
"But in the end, after every training session, it makes you better. That’s what I see in every session. That’s the process. When a player does things well and deserves to play, he plays.”
La Real is unbeaten in its past five games across all competitions, and Flick, who appeared relieved to talk about the upcoming fixture, urged Barcelona to prove its title credentials by ending that run.
“I’ve noticed they’re more confident now after the two wins and the draw," Flick continued.
"I know Real Sociedad’s coach well; we live near each other in Germany. It will be a tough match. They have fantastic players. We want to win La Liga, and to do that, we have to win tomorrow.”
