Hans Flick, the sporting director of Barcelona, made several statements about the state of his players and the team's level at the current period, emphasizing the importance of continuous development and commitment to the Catalan philosophy.

Flick said about Araujo: 'Physically, he is in his best condition, he is one of the leaders and should be among the team leaders, I ask him to continue progressing step by step, our philosophy is not easy because there are different players with different styles, but he adapts greatly and has improved.'

About the talent of Lamine Yamal, he added: 'It is necessary to improve and work better every day, the most important thing is to train like a champion, he is very smart, also on the field, you have to give your best, and if you train at 100%, you can do it, he is amazing, and what he can achieve is very big.'

About Lewandowski and the team's stability, he continued: 'We have talked several times, he should not think about next season, he has to focus on this season, he is doing well, sometimes he wants to play more, and that is normal, he loves playing for Barcelona, and we will see what happens at the end of the season, we do not know what might happen, it is not the right time to talk about this, we have stability and we want to maintain it in the future.'

About the paternal and motivational role he plays, Flick confirmed: 'Sometimes I am also the grandfather due to the age of many players, the most important thing is for the player to give us everything he has, and this applies to all roles, when things go well, you feel more comfortable and even motivated, work is not just on the field, but it is also important that everyone is respected, this is a good rule, no one is above anyone.'

About De Jong and the importance of leadership: 'It is always about the player, Frenkie De Jong plays as a number 6 or 8, he is great with the ball, he must develop his leadership on the field, the most important thing is that I talk to him a lot and he feels comfortable in Barcelona and at the club, and he is in a good mood, like the rest of the team, it is important that he plays at this level, this is what we expect from him.'

About the team's condition and offensive performance: 'Sometimes it is easier when scoring goals, but in the end, I am very happy with the style of play we present, this is the most important thing now, we also have to focus more on finishing attacks, the team is in good spirits, Real Mallorca is performing well.'

About the condition of injured players and their return: 'For Pedri, everything is going as planned, and I cannot specify his return date, but he is progressing appropriately and everything is fine, as for Raphinha, we have to wait day by day, now, when he feels he can train with us and the doctors give him the green light, he will participate, and not before that.'

About La Masia academy and future stars: 'La Masia, as I always said, is doing a great job and we believe in the quality of its players, they have very good fundamentals, and it is natural they need to improve, but I am very happy with everyone who comes from La Masia, Fermín is very talented, and he is performing excellently currently, he is playing at his highest levels, and I am very happy, the decision they made to renew his contract is excellent.'

About Deco and the management partnership: 'I am very happy with Deco, we are looking for the same type of players, we have the same philosophy, and it allows us to work, we have the calmness to do what we want, I did not have this before and I appreciate it a lot.'

About Yamal and the importance of development: 'I am very happy, I think the most important thing with talented players like this is to enjoy playing and working, and that is what he does, he has to take an extra step and another, but he is focused, and it shows in his performance, he scores more and more goals, and this is good for him and for us, he has greater potential and will be able to show it in the coming years.'