Desperate at times, Dani Olmo waited without complaining. And it was worth it.
He hoped that Nico Williams, president Joan Laporta’s first choice to strengthen Barcelona, would reject a move from Bilbao. He also hoped that Barcelona would take more than two weeks from the time his signing was finalised to register him in LaLiga. “Since I arrived I have been looking forward to my debut. And what better way!” said Dani Olmo, who was voted best player of the match against Rayo Vallecano. 10 years after trying to make a living outside La Masia, first at Dinamo Zagreb and then at RB Leipzig, Olmo returned to the Barça shirt. He came on in the second half and sealed the Barça victory. “It’s been many years since we won here, so it’s unbeatable,” stressed Dani Olmo.
Hansi Flick did not want to deviate from the script established by the club. That is why, in the run-up to Barcelona’s opening game in La Liga against Valencia, the Barça coach responded with delay a question to explain why Dani Olmo did not travel with the team to Mestalla. “Dani is currently not in good physical condition for tomorrow. He is not an option for tomorrow because he started training late and what we want is to take care of him,” he justified. The truth was that the absence of the number 20 was not a physical issue, but an economic one: Barcelona had not generated enough fair-play to sign his star signing. In the Catalans’ debut at Montjuïc, Flick could no longer hide what was obvious. “I always expect him. I also expected him in the last game. These are things that neither the player nor the team can control,” said the German coach. On that occasion, before the match against Athletic, he opted for honesty: he expected him.
“It’s good to have him in the team, it’s good for us and for him. He’ll start on the bench today,” Flick said before the match in Vallecas. He didn’t take long to send him on to the pitch. When Barcelona couldn’t find their way in the first half in Madrid, the coach called Dani Olmo. And unlike what happened with the Spanish national team at the last European Championship, Olmo and Pedri are not competition. On the contrary, they are complementary. “Dani gives us a lot of peace of mind. He understands football very well. He’s going to bring us a lot,” said Pedri. Dani Olmo replaced Ferran Torres and Flick’s Barcelona reacted in Vallecas. “Our first few minutes weren’t good. In the second half we improved a lot with the changes, there was more combination play. Dani was very good when he came on. He made the difference in the second half,” Flick analysed.
“Dani Olmo’s arrival hurt us: he can pass, shoot and score…” added Rayo coach Iñigo Pérez. It didn’t take Olmo a moment to change the Barça game. From the start, he was close to creating a penalty. Minutes later, he hit the crossbar. The most important thing for Flick: he accelerated Barça’s football. “I’m very happy to have played, to have made my debut and to have helped the team. Wherever the coach puts me, I will always try to give my best. Today I’m behind Robert, but I can also play on the wings. I’m a player who looks to score and create chances, Lamine has found me and I’m very happy,” concluded Olmo.
Barcelona’s joy, however, was not complete in Vallecas. Marc Bernal, the revelation of Flick’s team in the League, was unable to complete the match. According to the first examinations, the youth player may have ligaments in his left knee. “It doesn’t look good,” said the coach. He concluded: “The dressing room is sad. Nobody can be happy. It hurts.” This Wednesday, in Barcelona, Bernal will undergo more tests.
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