Hans-Dieter Flick is off to a perfect start with FC Barcelona. The ex-national coach convinces the skeptics and places particular emphasis on one area. He even had to convince star striker Robert Lewandowski to do this. FC Bayern has to be prepared for something.
In his dressing room speeches at FC Barcelona, Hans-Dieter Flick keeps FC Bayern out of it. The focus is on the next league opponent FC Sevilla. And yet the reunion with his former club in the Champions League next Wednesday in Barcelona casts a shadow.
Flick is meeting Bayern for the first time, with whom he had a perfect six-title season in 2020, but then left in 2021, unnerved in the dispute with the club management over former sports director Hasan Salihamidžić. It will be a difficult test for his successor Vincent Kompany – because Flick has turned the ailing giant Barça into a heavyweight again in just a few months. The team is marching through the Primera División with typically dominant Flick football and is top of the table after eight wins from nine games.
“I’m really pleased with Hansi Flick’s success so far,” says Oliver Bierhoff, who brought Flick into the national team as coach: “The last time I called him was at 6:30 a.m. – he was already at the training ground. That shows how much he enjoys the task.” Flick is at the training ground with the coaching team around Marcus Sorg, Heiko Westermann and Toni Tapalovic two and a half to three hours before his professionals. He and his assistants recently moved out of the hotel into apartments in the city center, a 20-minute drive from the club grounds. He put his coaching staff together piece by piece.
Flick speaks English, his assistant translates
A key to success: Since there was great dissatisfaction in the team with the work in the athletic department under predecessor Xavi Hernández, Flick brought in an absolute expert in Julio Tous. Ex-Bayern fitter Holger Broich was also an issue. So that FC Barcelona would not have to completely rebuild the coaching staff if Flick leaves, the Spaniard was given preference. Tous has two confidants in Pepe Conde and Rafa Maldonado. Their innovative methods are having an impact: they combine fitness exercises with football elements and are always coming up with new courses. The stars hardly notice how intensively they are straining their muscles.
Flick repeatedly reminds the players: “You only play as well as you train.” He gives his speeches in English, with assistant Arnau Blanco translating. Fitness fanatic Robert Lewandowski was also convinced by Flick in a one-on-one conversation to get involved with the new methods. Despite his age, Lewandowski is in top shape and scored twelve goals in eleven competitive games. “Hansi approaches the players openly and attaches great importance to physicality: This can help a team in difficult phases of a season or an individual game,” says Lewandowski.
For Flick, it was also about creating trust right from the start. He wants to form a team that acts as a unit, even off the pitch. While the professionals were previously allowed to come directly to the stadium for home games, they now go to the day hotel: the team travels as a group. Everyone wears the same tracksuit. In the past, players were able to choose their own clothing, which resulted in the entrance to the arena resembling a catwalk.
“The club seems like a family”
Flick has extra rooms built in the La Masia youth academy: This way the players should have a place to retreat between two units on the site. Defender Jules Koundé was dropped from the starting lineup because he was late. The clear rules further weld the team together.
“I was always convinced of Hansi as a coach,” says Bierhoff: “His approach fits FC Barcelona perfectly. He stands for joy of playing, for courage. Barcelona has always shown throughout history how much fun football can be – and that’s Hansi’s football. He can continue this history. In my opinion, it also gives the club a unity, a Catalan sense of community. The club acts like a family and relies on youth work. Barcelona are almost forced to rely on players from La Masia due to financial pressure. This is all in Hansi’s favor.”
Lewandowski, the 17-year-old Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are impressive on offense. Since Flick made the Brazilian captain, he has flourished. But there are also weak points, including the absence of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen (torn patellar tendon) for the rest of the season. The Pole Wojciech Szczesny (34) came as an interim solution, even though he had already ended his career.
Flick is thinking of Stiller and Tah as reinforcements
In central midfield, super talent Marc Bernal (17) is out with a torn cruciate ligament. Even before the season, Flick had Stuttgart director Angelo Stiller on his radar. The efforts should be intensified again, as Stiller fits Flick’s possession and attacking football perfectly.
Jonathan Tah also continues to play a role in thoughts. There was contact with the player himself during the summer break, and sports director Deco spoke to Leverkusen boss Fernando Carro about the transfer fee. Tah had long been inclined to move to Bayern. However, after the Munich team did not implement the deal after making a commitment to the player, everything is now open. Flick wants him to continue – if the finances of the still struggling club allow it.
Before that, he wants to win the direct duel, which is explosive in terms of sport. Both Barça and Bayern have one win and one defeat in the Champions League so far. Whoever loses on Wednesday will be under enormous pressure.
The article was written for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT PICTURE, BILD) written and first published in SPORT BILD.
