'I was at my peak!' - Fermin Lopez recovering from 'the worst summer' of his life as Barcelona star admits he 'needed help' dealing with missing Spain's World Cup success

Fermin has revealed the immense psychological toll of missing Spain's recent World Cup triumph. A poorly timed injury completely derailed his summer, forcing him to watch his compatriots achieve international glory from the sidelines. The 23-year-old playmaker was operating at the peak of his powers before the physical setback abruptly ruled him out of the tournament. Navigating this devastating blow required a massive support system, with the youngster relying heavily on his family, friends, and partner to pull through.

The emotional impact of his forced exclusion was so severe that Fermin initially refused to tune into the tournament. Speaking to Catalunya Radio's Tot Costa from Barcelona's pre-season camp in England, he confessed that watching Spain play was simply too painful.

"It's been the worst summer of my life. I was at my peak, everything was going well, and then the injury happened," Fermin admitted. "You learn from these situations, but it's true that I've had a really tough summer. I've gotten through it thanks to my family, my partner, and my friends. I needed help. I already had it before, but my coach has helped me a lot to get through it.

"I didn't watch the first few matches of the Spanish national team in the World Cup. I couldn't. I wanted to be there at the World Cup. Let me make it clear that it made me very happy to see my teammates win the World Cup. Towards the end of the World Cup, I felt a bit better and decided to go see the final live in New York."

After enduring months of gruelling rehabilitation, Fermin is finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The midfielder is currently working closely with Hansi Flick’s squad in the United Kingdom as he focuses on regaining his match sharpness ahead of the new campaign.

He remains incredibly optimistic about his current physical status and is already eyeing a return to action at the Joan Gamper Trophy. The young star insists that his painful summer experience has only provided him with more motivation to succeed.

"I'm feeling better every day. I have no discomfort, which is important," he explained. "If everything goes well, I could play a few minutes in the Gamper Trophy match. The intention is to come back from this injury with even more motivation. I think I'm very ready. I've already shown how I can help Barca, and I have to continue doing the same next season."

He added about his ambitions for the new season, saying: "The dream of winning the Champions League is shared by the whole team. We've closed the last two years. This season could be a good one. We've been playing together for three years and have experienced a lot. I feel we're ready to win the Champions League. Winning a third consecutive league title is difficult. It will be a tough year. But if we're focused on our game and united, we can win a third league title."

With his fitness returning and his mindset reset, Fermin is now firmly focused on achieving greatness with Barcelona. The Catalan giants are targeting domestic dominance and European success as they head into the new season under Flick's guidance.