Inigo Martinez has been enjoying himself this season at Barcelona. He’s a regular in the team and has formed a great partnership alongside Pau Cubarsi.
The situation is something of a surprise, given Martinez’s future seemed uncertain in the summer, but he’s taken advantage of injuries to Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen to cement his place in the starting XI currently.
Martinez says he did experience a nervy summer but Hansi Flick put his mind to rest when he told him that he would be first choice.
“Playing at 33 years old at Barça is not easy,” he told Catalunya Radio. I try to make the most of all the opportunities that come my way.
“You’re nervous, because you’re going to train and you don’t know if they’ll sign you up . And you’re with your family, you don’t know where you’ll be in a few weeks. When I saw that the coach trusted me and told me I was his first choice, he gave me confidence from the first minute.”
The defender also admitted that while the forwards at Barcelona have been enjoying themselves by banging in the goals it’s been a different story for the defender, particularly in El Clasico.
“The forwards enjoy. Those at the back, rather than enjoying, we suffer.” he added.
“Because they are matches in which you always have to be alert. At any moment it can get complicated and a mistake of yours becomes a goal. Enjoying, we enjoy little, except when you go 3-1, 4-1, there you start to relax a little. But we are always alert, trying to defend, not to concede any goals.”
Martinez is likely to face more competition for his starting spot in the coming months. Both Araujo and Christensen are due back and will both be hoping to return to the starting XI after time out with injury.
