Flick doesn't want to hear about pressure: "They have to enjoy the game"
FC Barcelona has already won two titles this season, but still has a lot to play for. Coach Hansi Flick is trying to ease some of the pressure on his team.
Hansi Flick has big plans for FC Barcelona this season. picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com
FC Barcelona have already won the Supercopa and the Copa del Rey this season, and in La Liga and the Champions League, the Blaugrana are also in an excellent position to win two more titles at the end of the season.
First CL final appearance since 2015 possibleCoach Hansi Flick is also aware that the season so far and the performances there have set the bar extremely high. However, the 60-year-old doesn't want to let the pressure this might create, ahead of the chance to reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2015 ( a 3-1 win against Juventus at Berlin's Olympic Stadium ), get to him or his team. "They have to enjoy the game. Playing at this level, in the Champions League semifinal against Inter, is fantastic. I don't want to put any pressure on my players—they have to have fun."
At the start of the season, "we had no idea what we would achieve." Having already bagged two titles, Flick wants his team to "appreciate that." It's now about "making the club proud, the fans proud, the families proud." But all of that is only possible if one recognizes that "we enjoy the way we play football. That's the way it is right now, and I'm very happy to coach this team."
Who will replace Koundé?Among others, Lamine Yamal will be crucial in the return leg. He virtually single-handedly ensured his team's comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the 3-3 first leg , and was subsequently praised several times by Milan coach Simone Inzaghi . "For me, the team counts," replied Flick. "It's true, there are exceptional players, and Lamine is a genius. What he does with the ball is incredible." But reaching the final will require more than an exorbitantly talented 17-year-old: "We need everyone to be at the top level."
This also includes defending set pieces better than last time. Two of the goals conceded by Denzel Dumfries came from set pieces. "We'll change a few things. That's all I can say," Flick said, keeping his cards close to his chest.
Meanwhile, the FCB coach has to make personnel changes, particularly in defense. Regular right-back Jules Koundé is out. But that's not a concern for Flick. "There are players who can cover various positions. Koundé and Balde are injured," he said, but with Eric , Ronald Araujo , Hector Fort , and Gerard Martin , there are sufficient options available.
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