Hansi Flick finds a new Barcelona defensive anchor in Xavi Espart

Barcelona’s injury-ravaged back line has forced Hansi Flick to dig deep into the club’s famed academy, and the 18-year-old right-back Xavi Espart has answered the call with the poise of a veteran. With Jules Koundé, Alejandro Balde and Andreas Christensen unavailable and Eric García nursing discomfort, Espart’s seamless promotion from the reserve squad has become the story of the spring at Spotify Camp Nou.

Espart’s senior breakthrough arrived sooner than anyone expected. Thrown on as a late substitute for the injured Ronald Araújo during the Champions League round-of-16 first leg at Saint James’ Park on 10 March, the teenager did not blink. Three days later he was in the XI for the Liga clash with Sevilla, and he completed the whirlwind week by featuring in the return leg against Newcastle United. In the space of eight days, a youth-captain became a first-team fixture.

The defender’s ascent is no accident. Espart has lived inside the club’s training complex since 2015, arriving from Vilassar de Mar as a 10-year-old and climbing every rung of the academy ladder. Last season he anchored the Juvenil A side to a treble, and this year he wears the armband for the reserves while training his sights on a permanent leap to the senior squad.

“When I saw I was going onto the pitch, I couldn’t believe it,” Espart told club media. “I enjoyed it so much and my emotions were soaring.” Surrounded by familiar faces, the transition felt natural. “Being with these teammates has made it easier for me to adapt and perform.”

Flick, known for trusting youth, has already pencilled Espart into weekend plans. Diario SPORT reports the German is ready to hand the right-back a third consecutive start when Rayo Vallecano visits Catalonia on Sunday. Publicly, the coach has been effusive. “You are seeing the same thing I am—he is a player with confidence,” Flick said. “I love the calm with which he plays; it seems like he has a very low heart rate.”

That serenity underpins Espart’s rapid rise. “For a young person like me, the fact that the boss has trusted me has meant everything,” he admitted. “His way of trusting me has allowed me to be calm, without pressure, and play how I know how.”

Yet the teenager refuses to view the recent run as a finish line. “I have to keep working, training, and be prepared to take advantage of any new opportunity that arrives,” he stressed. If Espart continues on this trajectory, Barcelona’s next defensive anchor may already be in place.