Dani Olmo talks Rodri, Lewandowski, La Masia, summer transfers, UCL ambition ahead of Feyenoord tie: ‘Club has done an incredible job’

Dani Olmo talks Rodri, Lewandowski, La Masia, summer transfers, UCL ambition ahead of Feyenoord tie: ‘Club has done an incredible job’ Dani Olmo has his sights set on the only major club trophy missing from his collection: the Champions League.  After winning the World Cup with Spain, the Barcelona midfielder wants to help Barça go all the way in Europe and believes the squad has learned from recent disappointments. Ahead of the season opener against Feyenoord , Olmo spoke to The Guardian about Barcelona’s summer additions, Rodri’s arrival, the attacking options available to Hansi Flick and the lessons the team has learned in the Champions League. Olmo excited by Barcelona’s new signings Olmo believes Barcelona have strengthened significantly, with several additions bringing qualities that fit Flick’s demands both with and without the ball. “The club has done an incredible job. Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon bring so much to the team.  “Anthony [Gordon] and Karim [Adeyemi] are incredibly quick, which suits our attacking style, but the most important thing is our play without the ball – something the manager values highly: pressing and defending as a single unit.  “And Rodri is the player who most resembles Busquets.” The midfielder also revealed how Rodri’s move developed and explained why the Spain international could give him greater freedom. “It all happened very quickly. It’s not that we wanted to talk about signings during the World Cup, but when the rumours started, we might have sent him a message or two.  Olmo has talked about Rodri’s impact. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) “He made his decision and we’re very happy. He fits perfectly into our style of play, our system and our philosophy, which is similar to that of the national team.  “He’s a positional player; he brings balance, which will give me more freedom to read where the spaces are. He maintains the structure.  “We know the system can be risky at times, but we have the experience and knowledge to know when to attack and when not to, and when to cover each other’s backs. Rodri brings that to us as well,” he explained. Barcelona have options without Lewandowski With no direct replacement for Robert Lewandowski, Olmo believes Flick still has several ways to configure the attack. “There’s no one quite like Robert. But we’re playing with Raphinha as centre-forward. Gabriel Jesus has joined us and Hamza Abdelkarim is doing very well.  “The manager knows he also has the option of playing me or Fermin there – a position I feel comfortable in. So he’s got options.” Olmo also believes Barcelona have matured from previous European setbacks, particularly after painful Champions League exits. “Every year there are nuances, tweaks and adjustments. We’re working hard to ensure our opponents can’t hurt us.  “We want to attack, but if someone’s a moment too late to get a shot away, we can stay calm. We can’t leave ourselves exposed just because a player isn’t there in time.  Olmo has set his sights on winning the Champions League with Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) “I think we’ve already gained that experience. Flick always gives us confidence.  “We believe in the system and we’ll continue to do so because it’s brought us titles and shown us that we can compete in the Champions League. The first year against Inter was tough.” Olmo wants Barcelona to learn from past failures The midfielder pointed specifically to last season’s tie against Atletico Madrid and the fine margins that ultimately proved costly. “Last year, against Atletico, the first match weighed too heavily on us; there were moments when it slipped away from us. We’re a young team and you might think there’s no problem, that nothing can go wrong.  “I think we’ve learnt that every detail, every minute, every sprint and every run is important. We have to go all out, whether it’s 90 or 120 minutes.  “We have to minimise the risk. The Champions League is decided by small details that haven’t gone our way.” Lastly. Olmo also highlighted the strength of Barcelona’s academy and the talent currently emerging from La Masia. “In my opinion, Barcelona has the best youth academy in the world: Bernal, Lamine Yamal and now Xavi Espart. Pedri is still young and has been playing at the highest level for six or seven years.  “We now have that experience. La Masia is more vibrant than ever. Exceptional players have always emerged from there, but it can be difficult to find a place for them,” he concluded.