Gerard Martin needed a little over two years at Barcelona to reach a century. Hansi Flick needed considerably less to decide the Catalan defender was indispensable.
“I think Gerard Martín doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves,” Flick said in his comments after Saturday’s win over Getafe at Spotify Camp Nou.
Martin arrived from Cornellà in 2023 and was sent to Barcelona B. He made his senior debut on 17 August 2024 at left-back away to Valencia, and has barely stepped out of the team since: 42 appearances in his first senior season, 51 last year, and seven more this term before the Getafe match took him to 100.
The Catalan who can play anywhere Flick needs
Barcelona signed Martin as a left-back and he still plays most of his football there. The reason Flick keeps leaning on him is that he can also drop into central defence when the squad runs thin, a shift the manager has used more than once already this season.
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“He’s a player with a great mentality. He always wants to improve, it’s incredible, and I’m very happy for him,” Flick said.
“He’s gained confidence. He’s always very committed. He’s played many clean sheets. He has room for improvement, but he’s showing top-level form.”
Twenty-four points, Betis away, then El Clásico
Flick’s team has given him almost nothing to clean up this autumn. Barcelona have won every La Liga match they have played and sit top of the table on 24 points, with the 3-0 against Getafe making it eight wins from eight on the resumption of the league after the international break.
Martin’s 100 games have come inside two seasons and two months. The next test for Barcelona’s unbroken start is a trip to Real Betis the following weekend, before Real Madrid visit Spotify Camp Nou for El Clásico on Sunday, 25 October.
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