At this stage, it seems too early to say that Hansi Flick has revolutionized FC Barcelona. The German coach has only conducted a few training sessions and three friendly matches in the 2024/25 preseason: against Olot (1-0), Manchester City (2-2) and Real Madrid (1-2). However, it is clear that the German coach's hand is already beginning to be felt in the squad.
From a tactical point of view, it is evident that he intends to implement a style of play that emphasizes suffocating pressure on the opponent throughout the game, showing aggressiveness to win the ball back as soon as possible. In fact, the Baden-Württemberg native mentioned this after the Clasico victory against Los Merengues, where, instead of simply rejoicing at beating los Blancos, he highlighted one of the shortcomings the Catalan side had in this regard. "On several occasions, we threw ourselves too far back and didn't press the opponent who had the ball. That's a problem we have to correct. We have to apply pressure for the entire 90 minutes and never let up".
Now, it is also important to highlight that Hansi Flick's proposal does not abandon the technical game, seeking to combine it with verticality to 'break' the rival defenses. In addition, the Barcelona team must show tactical intelligence to know when to be direct and when to opt for a more elaborate possession game, avoiding being pigeonholed in a single tactical style.
Other key points in Hansi Flick's sporting project
However, in the recently inaugurated management of the Heidelberg native at FC Barcelona, it is clear that the road to success is not only forged through the tactical aspects mentioned above. A number of additional issues also come into play, such as competitiveness in the squad, which is currently 'sky-high'.
With a wealth of young talent from La Masia having a serious chance of securing a place in the first team, it is common to see several players giving more than 100% to prove to the Culé coach that they are valuable assets to be reckoned with. At the same time, they keep the regular players at the top level of the Catalan team on their toes, thus avoiding any kind of euphoria or relaxation.
Similarly, Hansi Flick gives the impression of wanting to emphasize the importance of not getting carried away with excessive optimism due to the recent winning streak in this preseason 2024/25. Even if things are on the right track, it is clear that there are still areas for improvement. These adjustments will be made as the training sessions progress and the German coach's automatism are perfected.