Hansi Flick sends message to Tommy Marques after Barcelona debut

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has underlined his belief in teenage academy product Tommy Marques after granting the 19-year-old his senior debut in Saturday’s victory over Real Mallorca. Introduced for the final ten minutes, Marques became the latest La Masia graduate to step onto the top-flight stage under Flick’s watch, and the German tactician moved quickly to outline what the versatile youngster can bring to the first-team environment.

“He can play in different positions, as a defensive midfielder and at right-back,” Flick told reporters after the match. “His body language is top-notch; he plays with his head up, looking for teammates in better positions, and he makes good decisions. He’s very mature for his 19 years.”

The coach went further, drawing a direct comparison to one of the club’s established stars: “He’s similar to Frenkie de Jong; he could be his little brother!”

Flick’s praise was accompanied by a clear pathway forward. Emphasizing development over short-term hype, the Barcelona boss said: “I want Tommy to continue training with us to keep developing and getting playing time, and we’ll see what happens next season.”

Marques will now aim to use the remaining fixtures to push for additional minutes, safe in the knowledge that his debut has left a positive impression and that his progress is central to Flick’s planning ahead of the next campaign.