Fermin Lopez from "Zero" to "Hero"

Fermin Lopez arrived at Barcelona's La Masia Academy when he was just 13 years old. He is a highly promising young player with impressive ball-handling skills. However, he needs further development. Therefore, Barcelona has removed him from the La Masia bubble.

Lopez was loaned to Linares Deportivo, which competes in the Third Division of the Spanish League during the 2022-2023 season. There, Lopez faced a true test to become a world-class football player. This challenge temporarily brought him down and made him feel that he might never return to Barcelona.

Leaving Barcelona to play for a Third Division club was already a heavy blow for Lopez, who was 19 years old at the time. He was on the same team with veteran professional players of the club, with very minimal facilities. He sometimes played matches in muddy field conditions and faced tough physical play.

"It is very difficult because that is my dream. Barca is everything I know," said Lopez in an interview with ESPN at the beginning of 2025.

Lopez is struggling to play with a style that is different from what he is accustomed to learning at Barcelona. He is also having difficulty blending in with the senior players and is constrained by the desire to prove his abilities. However, playing football without joy is only causing him to sink further.

"I am very restless. I want to prove many things, but in the end, I prove nothing. It is very difficult because I am very disappointed with my game. I then realized that if I do not enjoy my game, everything goes wrong. Since then, everything has changed," Lopez stated.

Lopez is able to find joy in playing because he has finally accepted being outside the Barcelona bubble. He also received encouragement and confidence from Coach Linares Alberto Gonzalez, who gave him a second chance to develop.

Since playing with joy, goal after goal was created from his kicks. He scored 12 goals in 10 matches with Linares, four of which were decisive winning goals.

He also found a position where he could showcase his best abilities, namely as a winger and attacking midfielder. This position was often occupied by him when he joined the main team of Barcelona.

"I saw real football, mud. That made me grow. It was the year that made me leap over everything. Thanks to those who made me who I am today," Lopez said afterward.

After a season spent in Linares, Lopez was called back by Barcelona. He immediately made an impact in the friendly match against Real Madrid ahead of the 2023-2024 season.

Lopez scored from outside the penalty area with a left-footed shot. The ball soared into the top right corner of the Real Madrid goal, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. This goal is considered decisive for Lopez's inclusion in the Barcelona squad for the 2023-2024 season.

Lopez showcased his class in his first season with Barcelona by scoring 11 goals. He became the midfielder with the most goals, an achievement that placed him among elite players. In the second season, 2024-2025, he netted eight goals and provided 10 assists in 46 matches.

Last season, he also repeated an achievement previously accomplished by Lionel Messi. Lopez scored two goals and provided two assists in the match against Valencia. The previous Barca player to achieve this was Messi, 1,916 days earlier in the match against Valladolid on October 29, 2019.

It felt really good after the game and now we can turn our attention to El Clasico. - Fermin Lopez

The match against Valencia was deemed magical by Barca as Lopez performed brilliantly, completing 57 out of 65 passes, four out of five dribbles, and winning 50 percent of duels, which amounted to eight out of 16 duels.

This season, he has caused a stir on the European Champions League stage by scoring a hat-trick against Olympiakos. Barca won 6-1 on Wednesday (22/10/2025) early morning WIB. According to Opta, Lopez is the first Spanish player to score a hat-trick for Barcelona in the history of the Champions League.

However, for Lopez, this success is a collective effort. This achievement is the result of the mentality he developed while in Linares, where he was shaped into a team player, or a collective.

In football, no player is greater than the club. Therefore, he requested all Barca players in the match against Olympiakos to sign the ball used in that match.

"I brought the ball to the locker room to be signed by my teammates because this achievement is also due to them. I thank the entire team," said Lopez.

This solid Champions League result also provides crucial preparation for Barca's upcoming El Clasico on October 26th, starting at 10:15 PM WIB. Barca will travel to Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

"I'm very happy; we needed a win like this. It felt great after the game, and now we can turn our attention to El Clasico. It's a dream to have the match ball, signed by all my teammates, and to take it home," said the 22-year-old, as quoted by ESPN.