Only the first four league matches have been played, but the Barça of Hansi Flickbeyond leading the championship with 12 points out of 12, is already beginning to transmit several hallmarks that the German coach promised on the day of his presentation as Barça coach. Flickagainst Valladolid he received his first ovation.
Direct play
Since the arrival of the German coach to the Barça dugout, Barça have not only changed their playing system – from the traditional 4-3-3 to a relaxed 4-2-3-1 – but have also opted for a much more direct style of football with very quick transitions. Examples of this are the first two goals from the last match against Valladolid, which came from long balls – Raphinha scored the 1-0 after a pass from Cubarsí and Lewandowski made it 2-0 with another from Lamine – or the 5-0, in which a quick transition from Lamine, with a spectacular pass, ended in Raphinha’s third.
Physical preparation
One of the main requirements for the new project was physical fitness. Although Flick had already demonstrated the importance he attached to physical preparation at Bayern, the sporting directors were responsible for hiring Julio Tous, currently in charge of this area and who worked for 10 years with Antonio Conte. Flick publicly thanked Deco after the exhibition against Valladolid for the sporting director’s decision to support Tous and the new physical trainers, who with their work not only manage to make the team capable of pressing high up the pitch, but also of recovering the ball very quickly after losing the ball.
Requirement
As a good German, Hansi Flick is a serious person and very demanding of himself. He likes his staff and players to be responsible with their work and this is reflected in each training session. He does not allow even a single lack of punctuality, no matter how small. When he is ready to start the session, everyone must be ready too.
Wardrobe management
Flick is demanding with his players, but at the same time he is able to be close and understanding with them. The German coach has won over the dressing room by making all the players feel part of the team, beyond the number of minutes they play. Vitor Roque hugged him after breaking down in tears in his last training session. He preferred to leave but he did not attribute it to the coach, who also made it clear that he had not asked him to leave. After the match against Valladolid, the first thing the coach did was to look for Héctor Fort, the only available player in the squad who has not yet played a single minute, to explain why he had not taken him off.
Modesty
Another of the traits that characterises Flick is his humility. From his first meeting with Deco, the German coach showed himself willing to accept the project without conditions and convinced that with the squad he had, a competitive team could be made. Despite the fact that Barça did not specify the arrival of a centre-back – they wanted to have Tah – nor that of a left-winger – Nico Williams – nor a full-back – Cancelo -, Flick has not made any complaints in his public appearances. Nor did the 7-0 against Valladolid make him change his speech. He celebrated that the fans cheered him on but gave credit to his team and reduced the euphoria by reminding them that there is still a long way to go.
