Barcelona Coach Flick Praises Israeli Teen Orian Goren After Penalty Loss to Birmingham

Orian Goren, the 17-year-old Israeli midfielder, continues to impress during Barcelona's preseason tour in England. In a recent friendly match against Birmingham, which Barcelona lost 3-2 on penalties, Goren made his second appearance with the senior team, earning praise for his technical skills and versatility. Coach Hans-Dieter Flick, who remains confident in the young talent, highlighted the team's overall good performance despite some first-half struggles and mistakes in build-up play.

Spanish media outlets lauded Goren's contributions, noting his ability to create numerical advantages in midfield and influence the game. Mundo Deportivo described him as actively seeking to impact the match, while Sport acknowledged his flashes of quality but noted he still needs more confidence and freedom on the pitch. Journalist Albert Blaya Sensat called Goren and teammate Diarra "excellent minutes" and emphasized Barcelona's wealth of young talent.

Barcelona's official website noted Goren as the second youngest player in preseason after Aabrima Tonkara, emphasizing his technical prowess and versatility. Social media users compared him to club legends like Iniesta and Pedri, praising his technical ability and potential. Flick expressed his desire to see the young players demonstrate more confidence and play more between the lines, which he believes will come with experience.

Flick also praised striker Hamza Abdelkarim, who scored twice in the match, highlighting the potential within the young squad. Abdelkarim himself expressed optimism about the team's gradual improvement and his personal goal-scoring ambitions. Flick concluded by emphasizing the importance of the players showing their quality on the field and implementing their potential, which brings him great satisfaction working with the youth squad.