FC Barcelona has starred in, possibly, the most exciting, unpredictable, and dramatic sequence of four high-tension matches that club football has witnessed in just 15 days.
But, if you are one of those who has enjoyed this amazing spectacle, coach Hansi Flick is looking for a radical change. Before considering him a “Grinch” who wants to steal the excitement of the game, it is important to understand his perspective.
Between April 26 and May 11, fans witnessed a Copa del Rey final, a UEFA Champions League semi-final over two legs, two periods of extra time, a total of 25 spectacular goals, three different cities (Seville, Barcelona and Milan) as venues, and millions of viewers worldwide. Added to this was the magic of the young Lamine Yamal, while two titles were being defined: the Cup and La Liga.
For neutral fans, this has been the perfect antidote to the robotic play and conservative tactics of modern football. Even sports legends, such as Thierry Henry, have admitted to being bored with today’s football.
My father would be proud of this team.
Jordi Cruyff
However, Flick wants to change this dynamic. On Sunday, he made clear his discontent with Barcelona’s style of play that has captivated neutral fans and led them to a season with three titles.
“Only you can decide if we are the most entertaining team in Europe,” Flick stated. “For me… it’s not always fun. Sometimes I have suffered a lot. This journey, which the team and I began last summer, is not over yet. I know we have to improve a lot in defense. Both I, my coaching staff and many players know the importance of defending better. And that’s not just about the four who play in the last defensive line. We need greater defensive stability.”
Flick emphasized that it has not been easy to train these improvements due to the tight schedule of matches and travel every three or four days. “As for next season, you’ll see.”
Flick’s main criticism of his players, since August, is their tendency to attack without control in the final minutes and not manage the lead on the scoreboard. He wants them to think like “Rottweilers”.
In November, after losing against Real Sociedad and drawing against Celta de Vigo, Flick commented: “This is a very young team and we must be more careful in certain specific situations. When we were 2-0 against Celta and then there was a sending-off, we needed to defend much better. We always want to attack and play, but sometimes it’s enough to control possession and defend the lead well.”
There is another aspect that Flick wants to change, although only neutral fans will hope it doesn’t happen. The match against Real Madrid caused Barcelona to come back from a two-goal deficit for the sixth time this season (against Benfica, Atlético de Madrid on two occasions, Real Madrid, Celta and Inter Milan, twice away and four times at their own stadium).
Flick seeks to eliminate that tendency. He doesn’t want the stress and risk of constantly having to overcome two-goal deficits.
At the end of this season, Barcelona will only miss one of the four available titles after Flick’s arrival: the Champions League.
A detail that might have gone unnoticed is the elimination in Milan last week, when Barcelona was winning 3-2 and was two minutes away from the final. Yamal chose to shoot instead of securing possession. The shot hit the post, and Inter scored the equalizing goal that led to extra time and, ultimately, to defeat.
Flick has expressed his pride and admiration for his players, and seeks for the team to play beautiful and entertaining football. However, he wants to improve details such as mentality, intensity, grit, and decisiveness.
Therefore, Barcelona’s priority in the next transfer market is to sign a high-quality central defender. Jonathan Tah, league winner with Bayer Leverkusen, 1.95 meters tall and who played with Flick in the German national team, is the main target. His free agent status is very attractive to Barcelona, given their financial situation.
However, with Xabi Alonso on the verge of becoming Real Madrid’s coach, Tah might join him.
Flick, like every great leader, is planning the next season while others are still celebrating current successes. His goal is to transform one of the most spectacular teams in modern history into a less dramatic, more hardened version that decisively stops its rivals.
If they achieve it, who will be able to stop them next season?
