Pedri opens on croquettes and Champions League misery

Barcelona star Pedri has opened up on a tough campaign in 2023/24 with injuries.

Pedri has remained a crucial part of Xavi’s plans this season, despite struggling with injury issues in the 12 months, as Barcelona secured a first league title since 2019.

The 20-year-old midfielder has returned to the team in recent weeks, with the Canarian easing himself back into the starting XI, as he looks to come back to prominence for club and country.

Pedri’s stock has not dropped, despite his fitness issues, and he admitted he needed to change aspects of his lifestyle to ensure he can compete at the highest level consistently.

“It’s true that before I didn’t eat badly, but now I follow a diet. I’m more focused. My mother’s croquettes, which I liked a lot, I can’t eat anymore”, as per reports from Marca.

“That is one of the things that makes me most sad, that I can’t eat them, but that’s what is needed.

Pedri was also asked about his assessment of Barcelona’s season, as despite their success on a domestic front, Xavi’s charges struggled to convert that in Europe.

A Champions League group stage exit at the end of 2022 was followed up by a poor return in the Europa League knockout rounds in 2023.

“The Champions League was difficult. I think in the away games against Inter and Bayern we did not have the luck we expected.

“Against Bayern I had two chances to score and I didn’t, if we got a better result there, we could have progressed.

“We are Barca and we aspire to win everything, we have to improve, so that next year it doesn’t happen.”