Flick's Family Values: Barça boss on cup clash, Cancelo, and club belief
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick discusses Racing Santander cup tie, team spirit, and the importance of club trust in his pre-match press conference.
Fresh from lifting the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah, Hansi Flick faces a potential banana skin in the Copa del Rey as Barcelona prepare for Racing Santander.
Cup mentality
Flick isn’t taking anything for granted against Segunda División side Racing Santander in Thursday’s round of 16 clash. The German gaffer knows his team needs to be switched on from the first whistle.
“They’ll be proper motivated. It’s a young, brave team that plays well,” Flick warned about Racing, who previously knocked out Villarreal - currently sitting third in La Liga. “There’ll be emotion in the stadium when they receive us. This is the Copa. We need to be ready from the beginning.”
Squad rotation
With the fixture pile-up becoming a right old headache, Flick confirmed some changes to the starting XI:
- Joan García looks set to start between the sticks
- Cancelo could get some minutes after his recent return
- Ronald Araújo might feature after training well
On João Cancelo specifically, Flick seems keen to utilise the Portuguese’s attacking qualities: “He can give us quality, especially in attack, in the final third to overcome opponents.”
The Flick philosophy
When asked about job security - a topic highlighted by Xabi Alonso’s situation at Leverkusen - Flick offered a telling insight into his management approach.
“The club and the team must believe in you,” he stated simply, before elaborating on the family atmosphere he’s fostered at Barcelona.
“What we’ve built is special. I feel it like a family, and I felt it in Arabia. We talk about family - children come, sisters, parents… The president mentioned it in Arabia too.”
Super Cup reflections
While clearly chuffed with the Super Cup triumph over Real Madrid, Flick is already looking forward. He praised Joan García’s performance when called upon and the team’s connectedness, but stressed the importance of continued hard work.
The Barcelona boss also showed his diplomatic side when asked about his strong record against Real Madrid, responding: “Sometimes you have to enjoy these situations, things can change quickly.”
For now, though, all focus turns to Racing Santander and avoiding any cup upset. After all, that’s the bread and butter when you’re managing at a club of Barcelona’s stature.