Ivan Rakitic gives verdict on whether ‘incredible’ Barcelona player would have been a starter during MSN era | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to play against Inter Milan in a crucial UEFA Champions League game. This is going to be the first time in six years that the Catalans play in a UCL semi-final game, and winning this tie would mean they make it to the final after a break of 10 years.

It was 2015 when the Blaugranes last got to the UCL final, as they not only won this European competition, but the whole treble that year.

One of the protagonists in that Barcelona team was the midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who recently appeared in an interview to give his opinion on the current Blaugrana team.

Ivan Rakitic congratulates Barcelona

As SPORT has reported, the Croat was having some doubts about the Catalan club’s ability to win the UCL this year:

“It’s difficult, but it’s possible. This Champions League is very open, but Barça is still alive. I trust the team, the coaching staff, and the manager. They can do it, but they’ll need to be at their very best.”

However, he was still full of praise for Hansi Flick and Barcelona’s decision to appoint him as the coach after Xavi:

“We have to congratulate the club for betting on him — he’s given the team personality.”

Meanwhile, he also made it clear that he would have ideally wanted his former teammate Xavi to continue as the team’s coach this season:

“Honestly, I would have liked Xavi to stay, but the team has taken a step forward.”

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal celebrates after winning the Copa del Rey. [Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images]

Rakitic agrees with Gerard Piqué about Lamine Yamal

A few months ago, Gerard Piqué had commented that Lamine Yamal would not have made it to the historical Barcelona team in which he played. In this interview, Ivan Rakitic also agreed with his former teammate:

“Piqué is right, Lamine wouldn’t have been a starter in our Barça. Back then, we had the best attacking trio in history with Messi, Neymar, and Suárez.”

Still, the 37-year-old Croat was still quite impressed with Yamal and also labeled him as an ‘incredible’ player:

“Lamine is incredible… I love his boldness, his joy. He just has to keep enjoying himself. For me, Lamine is always on my team.”

One can certainly argue with Ivan Rakitic on whether Yamal would have a place in that Barcelona team. However, what is beyond any doubt is that the youngster has been a key part of the team and his contributions have allowed the Blaugranes to reach this stage of the competition.