Flick keeps the Szczęsny-Ter Stegen debate open: "Anything can happen in football"

Hansi Flick appeared in the press conference prior to the match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona, corresponding to the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25. Barça starts with a four-goal advantage, obtained last April 10, when they overwhelmed the German team at home with an authentic display of football.

The German coach made his appearance immediately after Wojciech Szczęsny did. In his speech, Hansi Flick gave his opinion on the debate about who should be the starter in goal when Marc-André ter Stegen recovers from his injury. "Anything can happen in football. I can't answer you 100%," said the coach, without clarifying the situation.

Dani Olmo's physical condition and the importance of his return

Speaking about the physical condition of his players, the Heidelberg native referred to the return of Dani Olmo, who recently received medical discharge. However, he did not confirm whether the player from Egara will play against the Germans. "We'll see if he can play tomorrow or not and if he can recover for the weekend. He has great quality, but it's true that we haven't always been able to count on him due to injuries. Still, we are very happy to have him back," he said.

In turn, Flick stressed the importance of keeping all his players available, especially with the finals coming up. "It's something I've already said. We want everyone to be available and I never tire of repeating that these players are fantastic and always want to be. I want to give them the opportunity to play in a final," he revealed.

The Barça coach also dedicated a few words to his star striker, Robert Lewandowski. "You can tell when you have a player of his level in the team. He is very professional and has a lot of experience. We count on him a lot and day by day he shows what he is like and he has all the parameters that make him a good player. He is a great example for the rest," he emphasized.

Barcelona and the option of winning the sextuple

In relation to Barcelona's chances of winning the sextuple, Hansi was cautious, as is usual with him, without making great projections into the future. "I always say it. I don't live in the past and in what I won with Bayern, but in the present. Everything that comes will be welcome, but that is the future and we have to focus on the clash against Dortmund. We have to focus on tomorrow's game," he warned.

Flick assures that he is not afraid of Dortmund's comeback

On a tactical and mental level, Flick made it clear that he is not afraid of a possible comeback from Dortmund. "I have absolute confidence in my team." In addition, he extolled the importance of the advantage obtained in the first leg. "We are lucky to arrive with an advantage because tomorrow's game will be very difficult. I want my team to enjoy playing against one of the most important teams in Europe. We want to have a good game and we want to maintain the level of the 4-0 from the first leg," he said.

To close, the German thanked the support of the Barcelona fans, who have traveled in large numbers to Dortmund to encourage the team. "In December there was also a great displacement. Their support is fantastic and I think our team tries to return the support with performance. The atmosphere between players and fans is very positive," he concluded.