"Watch out for Dro" warns Barcelona coach Hansi Flick
The young star of "La Masia" take part in the first-team training sessions and then took him with him on the trip to Japan.
The German coach of champions Barcelona, Hansi Flick, had his eye on 17-year-old midfielder Dro Fernandez since last season. And two weeks ago he invited him to take part in the first-team training sessions and then took him with him on the trip to Japan.
Drogba's talent has not gone unnoticed by the legendary "Masía". All his coaches talk about his technical training, his perception of the game, his creativity and his ability to "break through" the opponents' lines. In fact, there are many who compare him to Pedri, who, as the young man himself revealed, is his idol.
17 Dro Fernandez entered the field in the 78th minute of the match, replacing Englishman Marcus Rashford, and just eight minutes later scored his maiden goal for the “blaugrana” jersey.
Speaking to the media, he revealed that he didn’t even know how to celebrate. “Hansi told me, when I entered the field, to enjoy it, to do what I know with the ball and to press without it. Everyone congratulated me, they were happy for me. I couldn’t believe it when I scored the goal, I didn’t even know how to celebrate.”
Dro Fernandez was born in Vigo in 2008, he was acquired by the Catalans' academies in 2022 initially as a U16 footballer before moving to the U19, where the Youth League. The program will last 80 minutes.
With a mother from the Philippines and a father from Spain, the young Drogba has "bewitched" not only the German coach but also the Barcelona executives who are already in talks to extend his contract beyond the end of 2027, making him a professional at the same time.
The young players that Flick currently has at his disposal are:
- Dro : 17
- Guille Fernández: 17
- Toni Fernández: 17
- Lamine Yamal: 18
- Jofre Torrents: 18
- Pau Cubarsí: 18
- Marc Bernal: 18
- Roony Bardghji: 19
- Gavi: 20
- Alejandro Balde: 21
- Marc Casadó: 21
- Pedri: 22
- Fermín López: 22
- Gerard Martín: 23
- Joan García: 24
- Eric García: 24

Manos Staramopoulos
Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs
Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com
Athens (Greece)