A day before Real Betis host Barcelona in La Liga, former Barcelona and Real Betis sporting director Ramon Planes spoke in an interview with the programme "Zona Mixta" about the signings of Abde Ezzalzouli and Pedri.
Planes on Abde Ezzalzouli
Planes said: "Abde Ezzalzouli is a player I know well, because we took a gamble on him at that time at Barcelona. He reflects my way of seeing football, and the type of player I have gambled on at all the clubs I have worked for, since I started when I was 32 years old, and a long time has passed."
Abde at Barcelona Atletic, Osasuna and Betis
Planes said: "Altimira, Chadi Riad... we used to see amazing potential in those players. Abde Ezzalzouli was a street player, aggressive, intense, irregular. And when I saw this player, I gambled on him for Barcelona Atletic, paying his release clause of 2 million, even though he was barely playing. He played with the first team, we loaned him to Osasuna and he was very successful, and when I signed for Betis, I wanted him at any price."
Criticism around the Pedri deal
Planes said: "You cannot gamble on a player and then abandon him. You have to talk constantly with the player and show him trust. When you sign a player everything is lovely, but after that the difficulties begin. At that time, the board supported me over the Pedri (deal), but many did not understand it."
Pedri joined the Blaugrana in the summer of 2020 from Las Palmas, after the agreement was concluded in September 2019.
Planes said: "Paying 5 million for a player who had not played anything in the top division, with La Masia in existence, produced a lot of criticism. That culture did not exist at Barcelona, but there was absolute steadfastness on my part."