EXCLUSIVE: Former Barca player Cortes on Clasico, La Masia and new life in Belgium

Flashscore: How are you viewing the start of the season for Barca? 

Cortes: "It was already clear that Barca had been enjoying very good momentum since last year, and with the reinforcements they signed in the summer, it was obvious they would be aiming for everything with as much ambition as possible. The truth is that, at the moment, I see them as favourites for any trophy."

What did you make of the PSG game? 

"As a Barca fan, I didn't finish the game feeling very happy, but it was a meeting between the two best teams in the world at the moment. For the fans, it was a good game played at a high level.

"In the end, though, matches as evenly balanced as that are decided by fine margins. PSG were more clinical, but it could have gone either way, for Barca or PSG.

"There is still a long way to go. I also saw what Hansi (Flick) said, and I agree with him: titles aren't won in October. But it was a good test of Barca's level, and they rose to the occasion."

What's it like working with Flick?

"Working with him is very easy. He is very direct with his players and very approachable on a day-to-day basis. He demands a lot from you, tells you what he wants from you and the potential he sees in you.

"The truth is that he is very intense, very professional and has very clear ideas, both he and his staff, about how to interpret the game and how he wants his team to approach matches. It is very comfortable working with him.

"He is very demanding, and another positive thing about him is that he doesn't focus on age. For a young player, having your coach judge you on your level rather than your age is a sign of confidence and helps you improve."

The defence is probably the most criticised area at Barca, partly because of the goals conceded in Europe. As a defender who has worked in this side, what is the greatest difficulty of playing in that line, and what do Flick and his staff demand most from the defenders? 

"I remember that we did a lot of work on the defensive line and on working together. We were asked to be very active and fully involved in the game, even when the ball wasn't on our side. We had to make sure we stayed in line with the opposing defender, be brave and move forward, pushing the line high, as everyone knows, to deny the opposition space and force them into mistakes.

"That is an idea they are very clear about, and it is worked on to perfection. Of course, opposing teams play too, and there are good sides that can hurt you. But they work on it very well; they are very professional, and I personally like their defensive approach as well."

What would you say is the biggest change Flick has brought to Barca since arriving? 

"I think it is the way he combines the so-called Barca style with direct, very dynamic football played at a high tempo, especially without the ball. The aim is to give the opposition as little time on the ball as possible.

"We see that every weekend and in every Champions League game. Barça are a very direct team that knows how to play at every moment of a match, how to manage possession and when to be direct. No team escapes Barca's pressing, and that is what is bringing them so much success and helping them be the best team in the world."

La Masia's secret

Which players in the Barca squad are you closest to? 

"The truth is that when I was there, it was a very healthy dressing room. There were a lot of young players, but also players who had already built important careers in football.

"The younger players helped me a lot, and I am especially in touch with them: Brian (Farinas), Xavi (Espart), and Gerard (Martin), who I also used to play with many afternoons.

"Ronald (Araujo) too, although he is no longer there, as well as Cuba (Pau Cubarsi) and Berni (Marc Bernal). The truth is that they are ordinary lads who happen to be among the best in the world. Away from football, they are normal people who do the same things as everyone else: ordinary 20- or 21-year-olds."

What would you say is the secret behind so much young talent coming together in the current squad, with almost all of it emerging from years at La Masia? 

"I think it is a combination of talent, academy training and the mindset instilled in you from a very young age. I experienced that when I made my debut. I arrived at 16, but someone like Xavi, for example, has been there since he was very young.

"They instil that style of play, that mentality and that way of reading matches in you. When you go out to play with the first team on the biggest stages, you feel as though you have already played that match many times.

"These are situations that are already deeply ingrained in you, that you know how to handle and that you have experienced for many years. The mentality they pass on at La Masia also helps you deal with situations much better. They place a great emphasis on values and on how to navigate life's moments. I think that is La Masia's secret, and it is why it is the best academy in the world."

You arrived at 16, as you mentioned. What were those years at La Masia like? What was the experience like, and what stands out? 

"I arrived at 16, so it was my first time leaving home. Going to La Masia also feels like coming home because you make friendships that will last a lifetime. You build them with teammates who may no longer be in football or may be at other clubs, but they are friendships you will have forever.

"La Masia helps you a great deal: with your studies, in your day-to-day life and in dealing with situations that may be new to you, such as leaving home, your city and your friends, and feeling a little alone. They support you and help you see life through the values of the club. Those values are what make it the biggest club, and La Masia the place where young players enjoy the most success."

You briefly mentioned that debut against Alaves. How did you feel? 

"The truth is that it was the best day of my life. It was one of the dreams I had had since I was a child, and it was an incredible day. I remember finding out during the afternoon snack that I was going to start. I called my family and friends, and they came rushing from Zaragoza.

"Seeing them in the stands, seeing my friends and family, helped me a lot during the game. At that moment, you realise that everything you have done up to then, all of it, has been worthwhile.

"All the work you have put in throughout your life was for a reason, and eventually the opportunity arrives. You feel the pressure, but as I said, when I started the game I felt I had already experienced it because of the way La Masia had taught me the style of play and how to read matches. 

"The debut with Barca felt very easy, even though it might seem like the kind of situation that could make a young player extremely nervous."

The Clasico

Do you think Barca are as strong favourites as many people say going into Sunday's Clasico? 

"For me, yes. As a Barca fan and someone who has been inside the team, I see Barca as favourites for every match. But it is true that in a Clasico, the teams' respective form goes out of the window.

"The motivation of playing a Clasico is the same for Barca and Madrid, I imagine, and both sides will give everything. Still, I believe Barca are enjoying a level of form that makes them the best team in the world, and I am sure they will prove it in the Clasico with a win."

So, do you think winning the Champions League is possible this year? 

"Yes, I do. As I said, I hope and want this to be the year. But in the Champions League, you face the best teams in the world, and the fine margins will show what you are made of. Barca have the ability and the level, and this year I see them more than ready to win the Champions League the club deserves so much."

Belgium adventure

Turning to your current situation, how are you adapting to Belgian football?

"The adaptation has been very positive, both personally and athletically. From the very beginning, the club showed a great deal of confidence in me, which was very important because I am young, I have moved to a new country, and I am playing in a different competition.

"Feeling supported by the club is very important to me. I have also noticed that Belgian football is much more physical, more demanding and perhaps more competitive. There are a lot of duels and transitions, as well as forwards with many different profiles.

"As a young defender experiencing professional football for the first time, it is a league that is giving me a great deal. I am learning many of the qualities required to become a good centre-back, and I have to start taking responsibility and facing those challenges every weekend. That is what will help me grow as a footballer."

What objectives have Antwerp set for the season? 

"The objective is always to win every match and finish as high up the table as possible. We know we are at the oldest club in Belgium, with fans who have honestly surprised me. They are incredible. There are always a lot of them at away games and at home, supporting us with their messages.

"We don't have a specific target, but we want to finish as high as possible, take it one match at a time and, above all, learn and improve individually and collectively. That will help us go as far as possible as a team."

In Belgian football, the club that has probably attracted the most attention from the wider public this season and in recent years is Club Brugge. They played Barca and Atletico Madrid last year and performed well in the Champions League. This year, they won at Inter. How is the team's potential viewed from Belgium, as well as that of Nicolo Tresoldi, who was linked with Barca? 

"Yes, Club Brugge are one of the best teams here in Belgium, and they show that in both the league and the Champions League. In fact, my second game here was away at Club Brugge. It was a very even match that ultimately got away from us because of fine margins, with a closely fought first half.

"But Club Brugge are ready to compete in the Champions League. They already showed that against Inter, and they have a lot of quality players, including Tresoldi, Jan (Virgili) and the other winger, Forbs, who I also liked a lot. 

"I remember Tresoldi from the game we played against them. He came on in the second half and didn't touch the ball much, but I had already seen him play.

"He is a great striker. I spoke to him and asked why he hadn't gone to Barca, and we talked for a while. He is a great forward, and I am sure he will have a great career at some club."

When you asked him about Barca, can you tell us what he said? 

"No, I can't (laughs)."

A number of young Spanish players, with a strong La Masia presence, have moved to Belgium, including Victor Barbera, Sergio Gomez, who is now at Real Sociedad, Jutgla, who is now at Celta, and Jan Virgili. What does that league offer that attracts young Spanish talent? 

"I think it is partly what I mentioned earlier: it offers us an experience in one of Europe's best top flights. That is valuable for young players, because there comes a point when we need to play and gain professional experience.

"I think the Belgian league is a good place to develop, improve and start making important decisions in your career, even if it may not be the most comfortable option because you are leaving your country or a club where you have spent many years. 

"For me, it was a major step forward. It was my first professional experience, and I think it is a league that has developed young players into elite footballers. That is one of the paths I want to follow.

"I also spoke to Victor before coming, and he warned me that the league is very physical and that I would learn a lot. I would learn things that perhaps aren't emphasised as much in Spain. So I am very happy to be here. I am learning a great deal, and that will help me become a better player, more professional and, above all, a better person."

Were you also able to speak to Jan Virgili in that game against Club Brugge? 

"Yes, Jan is a great friend of mine. We spoke for quite a while beforehand, and I wish him all the best. He is one of the best wingers around. I already knew him and was aware of his potential, and once again, I wish him all the best. He is having a great season.

"I remember that he scored a great goal against us in the game we played, and I gave him a bit of stick about it. But we swapped shirts at the end of the match, and I am really happy for him because he is a great guy and deserves it."

The Spanish national team

You played at last year's Under-20 World Cup in Chile. What was missing for you to challenge for a medal?

"Yes, obviously we had a very talented team with many different profiles. But as I said before, in tournaments like that, everything can be decided by a single match. In the end, fine margins make the difference between winning or losing, going through or going home, and you face opponents with many different styles. I remember Colombia eliminated us.

"They were a very physical, direct and vertical team, and the match slipped away from us because of fine margins. We didn't interpret their direct play well. But as I said, we had a very talented and united team. I remember that we had a great group of players, and perhaps we deserved more. However, it taught us a lesson for the future. We are very young, and that is how you learn: by losing."

Do you see any of your teammates from that team or from the youth national teams, such as Thiago Pitarch, Jan Virgili or Pablo Garcia, establishing themselves quickly at senior level? 

"All three of the players you mentioned, as well as the others in that group, have tremendous ability. I am particularly impressed by Jan. I have a very good relationship with him, and I believe he will be in the senior team before too long. He has the level, and he is earning that opportunity. 

"Thiago and I talk quite a lot, and we have a good relationship. I think he is coming back from an injury now, so it will take him time to return to the level he reached at the end of last year. As I said, we have many players who can pursue the dream we all share, which is playing for the senior national team. Any of these names could be representing Spain in the medium or short term."