'I love Gavi for..' - Hansi Flick applauds Gavi's teamwork and leadership after Barcelona's 7-1 win against Valencia

Hansi Flick, the head coach of FC Barcelona, disclosed a kind gesture Gavi made to a teammate after Sunday's ruthless 7-1 La Liga game against Valencia. Under Flick, Barcelona went from being a club in transition to a dominant power in Spanish and European football, and this was reflected in its outstanding performance. 

A testimony to Barcelona's aggressive mentality, the win over Valencia marked a turning point as they achieved 101 goals this season across all competitions. As the game was coming to an end and Barcelona was in complete control, Flick called for Gavi to in and take Frenkie de Jong's position for the last fifteen minutes.

Many assumed the 20-year-old was coming on when they saw the German coach hugging him on the touchline. However, Pablo Torre took the Dutchman's position a few minutes later. After the game, Hansi Flick explained the situation.  “The situation that impressed me the most was when I spoke with Gavi, who I wanted to put on in the last 15 minutes, and he said: ‘No, put Pablo Torre on.’ And this is incredible, it’s great. You can see how the players are. Connected with each other. It’s fantastic and for a coach it’s incredible. I love Gavi for his attitude and talking like that at that moment is fantastic,” he said in the press conference.

Gavi returned to the team Following an injury 

Following an injury that kept him out of action for less than a year, Gavi has just recently returned to regular play. He has started to establish himself on the starting XI at the expense of Dani Olmo, who has also missed many games due to suspension and injury. 

But Torre had an opportunity to make a difference because of his selfless deed. Since Gavi and de Jong recovered, the former Racing Santander midfielder has been denied playing time, even though he has played well when he has been on the field. In just 12 games, the 21-year-old has 4 goals and 3 assists in 373 minutes.