Chadi Riad made his debut in the recent victory for Barcelona over Osasuna by coming on as a substitute in the final minute of play.
In a last-ditch effort to hold onto his team’s slim lead, Xavi decided to add additional defensive bodies, and the 19-year-old substituted for Pedri at the dying embers.
Chadi Riad expressed his gratitude to Barça for the opportunity in a post-game interview, saying it was a unique and emotional occasion for him.
Your Barça debut? For this, I toiled arduously. I’m overjoyed. Since I was a young child, I have been dreaming about this day. I appreciate Xavi giving me his trust,” Chadi remarked (via Barça Universal). “After my debut, I cried. I felt a lot of emotion.
Chadi, a graduate of Barcelona’s renowned development system, has enjoyed a quick ascent to stardom in recent years after making a strong impact with his exploits at the youth level. He has consistently played for Barcelona’s U19 team and other youth teams, and as a result, he was called up to the senior team. For his success, Chadi thanked his family and god.
“I started thinking about God as soon as I stepped onto the field for my debut. In those waning seconds of the game, I believed that God would intervene to save me. I also gave my family, who have helped me my entire life, some thought, he continued.
Although the 19-year-old will be proud of himself for making the senior team, Chadi still has a lot of ground to make up if he wants to be a consistent first-team player.
Despite Gerard Pique’s retirement, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Jules Kounde will likely compete fiercely for a spot in the team. It will be intriguing to watch what the future holds for young Chaid for the rest of the season, especially because Barça may potentially recruit a new player for the central defense group in January.
