Hansi Flick reveals the keys to FC Barcelona's thrashing of Young Boys

After the match between FC Barcelona and Young Boys (5-0) was over, Hansi Flick spoke to the media to express his feelings after his team's resounding victory on the second day of the Champions League. The German was satisfied with the score, but was self-critical when revealing some aspects to improve in the team's performance.

"It was important to get the three points. The 5-0 is more than deserved. We realised that we did not come out with the confidence we are used to. We got it back and we are happy. But we have to continue. We are already looking forward to the match on Sunday," began the coach, who later left a clear message to his players.

"We have to start the games stronger, in the passes, and improve the team's dynamic a little. It has improved as the minutes passed"

Flick also made clear the importance of the 'goal-average' factor in this new Champions League format by stating that "I think it is important to accumulate points and scoring goals is important. Nobody knows how it will go in this new Champions League format. Those five goals are a good start and we can be happy. It is good to score to be better ranked. From the beginning, the team's idea was always to get to the goal if there was an opportunity."

However, he also drew on self-criticism regarding the management of the last minutes of the match. "In the last minutes, I wanted the ball more and save energy. But the team wanted to have a good time and score. But we also have to learn to be cautious. But I am very happy with the team's performance," he commented.

The keys to Barça's game

Regarding Barça's great start to the season and the effectiveness of its formation, Hansi revealed some of the keys to the team's good form. "I think we press high, we counterattack, we act in a compact way, we are defensive, offensive... we are a team and we have made an effort to be united. It is important to have players who want to press and technically the team is very well formed and knows how to combine and create goal-scoring opportunities," he said.

On the other hand, Flick highlighted the importance of the good vibes of the group at the start of the season. "What I particularly like is the cooperation and the good atmosphere that exists between them. You can see that they know each other and get along well. For me it is very good as a coach," he said.

However, he was not satisfied and maintained that the team will continue to improve throughout the season. "We want to be better in every game. We can do some things better, we can better display some potential. We have to keep learning as a team. The team wants to play even better. It is important, taking into account the games we have left until the end of the year, which are good and interesting. We have to achieve the best performance possible," he said.

The changes and the return of the injured

When asked about the disgruntled gestures of Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal when they were substituted, the Barça coach was blunt in saying that "we don't have just one player but several. There can be changes. We cannot take into account whether a player wants to continue playing or not."

He also spoke about the return of Frenkie de Jong to the pitch. "It was a very important step for him to be back with the team and play a few minutes. We needed him earlier, but we had to wait. Maybe he ran too much, but it was good for him to get his feelings back, to get used to the pressure of the rival... he does very well in training," he commented.

"I know that before his injury he was at a high level as a player, and we have to help him and support him so that he can be like that again. We will do everything possible together. He deserves it, he is very professional. We have to be patient with him," he added.

Finally, he dropped the possible return date for three of the players who are currently in the Barça infirmary. "The season is very long and we have seen that everything can change very quickly. Ter Stegen is injured, Olmo..."

"... we hope that after the break Fermín or Dani will return and Gavi at the end of October"

"It is important to add points and when there are more players available we will have more options to unload the weight of some players," concluded Flick.