At Barcelona, the same clichés are repeated, since the pandemic monopolised by problems, generally economic, sometimes legal (Negreira case), which keep a fragile Barça club awake, always waiting for a coup that can straighten out the club’s course. It happens, now, that the protection provided by the figure of Xavi Hernández was broken (or they let it break), that the duo Lamine Yamal-Nico Williams, a sensation in the European champion Spain, could not be cloned at Barça and that the eyes point to a low-profile coach, football-loving and hard-working, a friend of common sense, like Hansi Flick. “I always tell the team the same thing: let’s not even think about what we can’t change. Let’s not make excuses and let’s not complain.” It seems that the coach is not deceiving. In a Barcelona that is in a permanent state of turmoil, Flick rules out becoming the club’s spokesperson – he is a wall in press conferences, which are shorter than those of his predecessor in office – and only focuses his energy on what he seems to be able to control: the locker room.
They are surprised at the Ciudad Deportiva by Flick’s attitude. “He is attentive to everything,” they emphasize. For example?, add the same sources; “he asked to participate in the meetings in which food was planned for the tour, he talks a lot with the injured players and is always asking about the club and the people who work there.” One of the first aspects that the sports department highlighted about Hansi Flick, after the first meeting they had with him in London, was his ability to talk about football. “This is a coach,” they commented, in comparison with the then coach, Xavi. The sports department was concerned about the physical condition of the footballers in recent seasons. “They are not well. They do not train,” they complained. So, the decision of Deco, sports director, was to remodel the entire area. Five new faces: Julio Tous, responsible for physical preparation; Pepe Conde and Rafa Maldonado, field physical trainers; and Germán Fernández, gym and strength physical trainer. Raúl Martínez, head of physiotherapy, also joined the team.
“Flick’s training sessions are very focused on what he wants for the team: strength and speed,” says a member of the team’s sports department. A premise that is contrasted by those in the dressing room: “He is demanding in the physical part.” The German coach does not hide his new model: “Taking the players’ physicality to the next level is one of my main objectives.” Starting with a 4-2-3-1, Flick wants a team that is aggressive in recovering the ball, quick to attack. He also boasts of his closeness to the players. “He is very good in individual conversations,” explains one of the veterans of the squad. However, according to the same sources, Flick has more difficulties in group conversations. And the language does not help him. “He communicates with us and the players in English,” explains a club employee. Although some Barcelona sources explain that the coach has put aside his Spanish classes — “He has more urgent things,” they say — Flick assures that in two months he will be able to speak it.
Thiago Alcántara, his liaison with the squad and the favourite member of staff for the younger members of the group, returned to England for personal reasons. It is expected, however, that he will return next year. “He has helped the team and he is a great person. Now he is leaving and we have Arnau [Blanco, entrenador del cadete A]who is also giving us a lot of support,” explained Hansi Flick. Another of the coach’s supporters is captain Ter Stegen. Although Flick has a high level of interaction with Gündogan and Lewandowski, the coach relies more on the goalkeeper’s influence and leadership ability to speak up in the dressing room.
The Barça squad, in any case, is not difficult to manage. Xavi, in fact, used to praise human quality. And Flick, for now, surrenders to his players. He does so for their nobility in the dressing room, but also for their technique on the field. “We have a lot of quality,” stresses the Barcelona coach, while avoiding putting pressure on the sporting management at the close of the transfer market. “I am happy with the players I have now. Everything else is unknown. I have a lot of confidence in the club and I am happy with what the team has shown. When the injured players return, I am sure that we will be a very strong team.” In the infirmary are Ansu Fati, Gavi, De Jong, Araujo and Pedri.
Flick will be able to count on Iñigo Martínez, Pablo Torre, Marc Casadó and Pau Víctor for the opening game of the Liga against Valencia (9.30pm CET). All four of them will be registered with LaLiga on Friday. The cases of Vitor Roque, Álex Valle and Dani Olmo are still to be resolved. The situation of the Brazilian and the youth team player is not a concern for the sporting management: Roque will be loaned out and Valle could play with a reserve team card. The situation of Olmo, the star signing of the summer, will be resolved next week, according to club sources. “He arrived recently and has had few training sessions. First he has to train to be able to help us,” said Flick.
“Now we will start to see Flick’s work. Little by little he will start to have all the players and we will see how he makes the team work,” the sporting area reason. With two weeks to go until the market closes, Barça has only signed two players, Olmo and Pau Víctor. They are looking for a winger and a pivot. They do not know, in any case, if they will be able to get them. A difficult summer to manage for the sporting area. One more. Without a solution to the economic problems, Joan Laporta looks at the Montjuïc field (he hopes to return to the Camp Nou in December) without the protection of two idols like Koeman and Xavi. The crest is now a mystery for the fans: Hansi Flick.
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