Barcelona has always been synonymous with possession of the ball and a series of short passes from foot to foot. However, Barcelona’s playing style will change slightly in the hands of new coach Hansi Flick.
Flick started his coaching career at Victoria Bammental. The German then managed TSG Hoffenheim, then coached Bayern Munich for the 2019-2021 period, and the German National Team for the 2021-2023 period.
In the 2019/2010 season, Flick led Bayern to win the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League treble. Now, he is coaching Barcelona, replacing Xavi who resigned at the end of the 2023/2024 season.
Flick wants Barcelona to play pressing and score as many goals as possible
“The tradition here is to play with passing, but I also want them to go straight to the goal. They have to focus more on scoring goals,” Flick told Barca One.
“I don’t think there needs to be any significant changes to my style. The aim is the same, namely pressing high and playing in the opponent’s midfield. However, in the end, you have to win. The most important thing is to win the game, and at Barca, You have to play well.”
“All I can say is that we want to be an active team. We have to be active, both with and without the ball. It’s up to us to make it like that. We can make the opponent play the way we want, and win the ball back as quickly as possible.”
“I like my team to press the opponent at the right moment, and sometimes higher. With the ball, all players should have as much freedom as possible. That’s my view from a technical point of view,” he added.
Flick came to Barcelona bringing his own football philosophy. However, he did not rule out making slight modifications to the team’s playing style, depending on the situation and the opponents they faced.
“We have our own philosophy and style. We know how we want to play, but every match is a challenge. During the match, there can be changes. We always look for the best for the team,” said Flick.
“We can decide to advance a midfielder, or move him to another position. However, changes can also occur in the way we press. These are small details that we can implement depending on what the opponent has to offer.”
“Changes will be implemented depending on the match and the rival. We will always be open to modifying these small details,” he stressed.
In Flick’s hands, will Barcelona become a fiercer team? Let’s just wait.