Fermin Lopez Supports Deco on Barcelona’s No. 9 Decision
The scoreline said 5-0, the mood said something else: control, clarity and, from Fermin Lopez, complete trust in the man upstairs making the big decisions.
Fresh from Barcelona’s demolition of Elche in the second round of the 2026/27 La Liga season, Lopez stepped off the pitch tired but satisfied. The team, he insisted, had done almost everything right.
“We finished the match feeling good,” he reflected, pleased with how Barcelona turned dominance into goals. The attacks clicked, the execution matched the ideas, and the performance carried the authority expected of a title contender. For Lopez, the message after such a win was simple: keep going exactly like this. No relaxation, no excuses. Just work.
Deco’s call on the No. 9
The conversation quickly moved to the question hanging over the club: will Barcelona bring in a new No. 9?
Lopez didn’t bite on the speculation. Instead, he pointed firmly towards Deco. The sporting director, he said, will do what is best for Barcelona. That was his line, and he stuck to it.
He highlighted the options already inside the dressing room, underlining that the squad is not short of attacking solutions. The choice to add another striker, he stressed, is not for the players. That responsibility lies with those in charge of the project.
In other words, the debate over a new centre-forward will be settled in the offices, not on the training pitch. And Lopez made clear he trusts Deco to read the situation correctly.
Fighting for rhythm
If the team looked fresh, Lopez himself admitted he is still chasing top condition. The midfielder came off the pitch exhausted and didn’t hide it. The summer, he said, had been “very tough” for him, and the physical toll is still there.
He knows the only way back is through minutes and hard work. Regain rhythm, build fitness, maintain intensity. The performance against Elche was a step in that direction, not the destination.
Barcelona walk away from a 5-0 win with confidence and questions. Deco will answer the one about the No. 9. Lopez has already answered his: he will run until the legs come back, and he expects his club to keep running just as hard off the pitch.
