When some were beginning to slightly doubt that Hansi Flick was capable of reversing the situation with Barça far from the level exhibited last yearthe German coach has done it again. He has recovered the essence of the squad that amazed us with its aggressive, risky and fun commitment.
It is not a resounding or ‘official’ return because there must still be continuity, a permanence and great nights against more important rivals to be able to shout it from the rooftops. But it is evident that the team, as the one from Heidelberg had preached, has gained in packaging, character and self-esteem as the injured players have recovered. It is impossible for the machine to carburize with Swiss precision in the team’s 50 or 60 annual games.
THE EXAMPLE OF LUIS ENRIQUE’S PSG
A season is as long as it is dense and cruel. You can spend six months surpassing anyone and proving to be the best by far and then two or three pieces of the wheel fall off and everything you had built falls apart. Or the opposite. Let them tell it to Luis Enrique’s PSG, who almost jumped into the previous Champions League play-off after a very poor performance in the League Phase and ended up devastating their rivals and winning the first ‘orejona’ in their history. And Hansi Flick is an old dog.
He knows that this is not going to happen like a shot in October and November. And hence the physical preparation is focused, with its peaks, on reaching the important section at a high moment of form. The rhythm that the Barça team exhibited last year was truly crazy. And this year the demand is even greater because the rivals have analyzed and reanalyzed Flick’s master lines and found ‘gaps’ to attack the forward line and high pressure.
It’s not that the style is obsolete. Not at all. The thing is You have to reinvent yourself and find nuances to surprise your opponents. The German coach does not smear colony nor does he seem humble when he says that any team in the Spanish League is dangerous and can cause problems for you. Equality is becoming more and more latent and the top category clubs are working to the extreme. With its limitations, but with few cracks.
A SPECTACULAR START OF THE MONTH
If Hansi left one of his most famous phrases at the end of last year, describing the month of November as ‘shit November’, we could safely affirm that this beginning of the month is resembling a ‘sweet December’. For now, victory against a very powerful and ‘on fire’ Atlético and overwhelming victory (with a small final empanada) in Seville against Betis. Eight goals scored and four conceded in two games in which the essence was 100% that of the Barça that made us fall in love with the first year with the German at the helm. There are still four games left to close 2025. Eintracht, Osasuna, the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey and a last, very dangerous visit to Villarreal, one of the revelations of this first third of the League.
The objective that Flick’s statement after the setback against Chelsea was clear. He clung to the return of the injured, especially Raphinha, one of the souls of the team (also Pedri, of course), and set out to win everything until the end of 2025. Full day to say goodbye to the year and recover sensations and the hallmarks of a project that is alive. It is important that the group enjoys, has fun and is empty in equal parts.