On Monday evening, Valencia will make the trip to the Estadi Olimpic in Montjuic, where they will take on Barcelona. A victory would be massive in their bid to finish inside the European places, and it would be a nice bounce back after their defeat to Real Betis at the Mestalla last weekend.
The fixture will be a particularly special one for Diego Lopez, as he prepares to face off against his former club. The 21-year-old spent three years in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, before leaving in 2021 as a free agent, at which point he joined Los Che.
🚨 Another member joining Xavi's staff alongside Julio Tous is Raúl Martínez, who will take on the role of coordinating the physiotherapists and masseurs. @sergisoleMD pic.twitter.com/WuqdvQR1lB
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 25, 2024
Speaking to the media on Thursday (via Relevo), Lopez opened up on his departure from Barcelona. He also spoke on Lamine Yamal, whom he knows from his time at La Masia.
“I lived some very good years at Barcelona. I met magnificent people who I will see next Monday. The truth is that I expected to continue there, but that didn’t happen… But it’s not that it hurt me. Thanks to that, I’m fulfilling a dream (at Valencia). Things happen for a reason.”
“I already knew Lamine Yamal, although he was young, and you could see that he was going to be a great player. I was also with Gavi and Fermin, and I’ll see them on Monday in Barcelona. Everyone who plays there learns a lot and has great coaches, that’s why so many play in the first team, just like at Valencia.”
