Hansi Flick, in his press conference prior to RCD Mallorca's match against FC Barcelona, did not hesitate to analyze how his team is approaching the upcoming match against Mallorca. The German coach detailed the reasons why he believes the club is not showing its best version and has entered a small streak of adverse results, also expressing his plans to address the situation.
The Baden-Württemberg native started by explaining the significant drop in the performance of the Catalan team. "There are many things I could talk about regarding the Las Palmas match, but I don't want to because it would seem like I'm making excuses and I don't like that. Before, the team could have won the game, and now we are feeling this pressure of not winning. Concentration is crucial, we need to take advantage of opportunities," Flick warned.
"The team, as I mentioned before, tried to play. We had over 70% possession, and that's how we want to play, but what matters in football is goals, and we haven't scored much lately."
What does Barcelona need to correct to get out of this significant slump?
Regarding the reasons that have affected the play of the Barcelona team, Hansi Flick mentioned what he considers crucial to correct to overcome the bad streak. "There is always a reason why you concede goals, and it has to do with the opponent applying timely pressure and finding the moment. We have to find that pressure. When we defend as a unit, we play much better. And in some situations, they scored very well-made goals," emphasized the Heidelberg native.
"We dropped the pressure and left too many spaces."
Hansi Flick acknowledged talking to Joan Laporta, but...
In addition, Hansi Flick commented on his contacts with Joan Laporta to address the current situation of the club, recognizing that he has spoken with the Barcelona president, although their most recent conversation was not focused on that topic. "The president came, and I have spoken with him. I congratulated him on the celebration of the 125th anniversary. We didn't do so well, and we didn't give that gift to the fans. Today we talked about the fight. Not just playing football, but the fight. I highly value the players in this regard," he pointed out.
"I don't like losing, and I think we need to foster more of this fighting attitude. And there is room for improvement in this."
The competitive spirit of Barça
In another vein, Hansi Flick dismissed the idea that his team has lost the competitive spirit, highlighting that during a season, it is common to experience fluctuations in performance. "We work a lot on possession, we created opportunities on Saturday, but sometimes things don't go as we expect. It's like a constant fight: saying 'I'm here, I fight for the ball, I go for it'. When I see young players like Cubarsí or Iñigo, who play at an essential level in every game, I realize the importance of their contribution," concluded the German.
"Everyone must give their all. The fight is continuous in LaLiga, with its ups and downs. The goal is to win the title, and I want to see everyone fighting for it, not just the players but everyone. We are focused on this process. We have a young team with an incredible atmosphere, but in the end, what matters are the points, and we don't have as many as we believe we deserve."