DL

🚨🎙️ Vitinha on his funny conversation with Fabián Ruiz after beating Barcelona: “(Laughs) Honestly, it was funny because after the game, we both knew how much work it took to beat a club like Barcelona. It was one of the toughest games we’ve played in a long time. Fabian walked up to me and said, ‘We did it! How are you feeling?’ I looked at him and said, ‘Yes, we did it, even though there was a demon in their midfield who made our lives difficult today.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Pedri?’ (laughs) We both started laughing because we knew exactly what we had just witnessed. People see Pedri and think he doesn’t have the physical strength to protect the ball against aggressive midfielders. They think they can just use their physique to dispossess him. But when you actually face him, you realise how wrong you are. This guy is so flexible, so intelligent and so unpredictable. He was everywhere today, and every time we thought we had him under control, he found a way out. He made things incredibly difficult for us. And honestly, the moment he was substituted, I told myself, ‘Vitinha, this is your time to shine!’ (laughs) But jokes aside, after the match, I had to go and speak to him personally. I wanted to tell him how incredible he was and how much I respect his talent. Some players make you appreciate football even when you’re playing against them. It was all respect. We shook hands, exchanged a few words, and moved on. But believe me, Pedri made sure we earned that victory.”