The newspaper “AS” stated that Flick spoke at the press conference preceding Barcelona’s match against Celta Vigo in the next round of the Spanish League, and pointed out that the opponent is going through a better period than his team at the moment, asking his players to apply everything that is discussed in the dressing room on the field.
The German coach said: “Celta Vigo is having a great moment, they have won 4 consecutive matches and have a better dynamic than us currently, but everything will depend on the position we enter the match with. I spoke with the players about this, we desperately need the three points.”
Regarding the importance of the support he receives from the club president, he said: “Laporta’s support is always important. We talked a lot about the current situation, and we need more confidence.”
He added: “We saw against Club Brugge that our defensive line was sometimes too deep, and the attackers were far from the danger areas. We need to be more connected with or without the ball, and that is what we lack currently. We talked about that, and I hope we apply it better tomorrow.”
When asked about the extent of the players’ commitment and belief in the project as it was last season, Flick replied confidently: “I am convinced that they know exactly what needs to be done.”
Then Flick moved on to talk about the comparison between his current experience at Barcelona and his second season with Bayern Munich, saying: “It is easy to compare and talk, but I do not want to talk about Bayern Munich here, this is not fair, because we also won the Bundesliga in the second season there. I am not looking for excuses, it is a fact that we are suffering from many important injuries, we are trying to manage them in the best way possible.”
He added: “We would have liked to get more points, but we came out with a point from the match against Club Brugge, and we are now five points behind Real Madrid in the Spanish League.”
He stressed: “We must continue working until next May, the road is still long. The players realize that we must play much better. When everyone returns in two or three matches, we will be at our best. They will help us a lot. Until then we have to continue fighting, and I think this is what we did not see on Wednesday against Club Brugge, we did not see that fighting spirit that we want to see.”
Flick spoke about the team’s defensive situation before the Celta Vigo match, saying: “Eric Garcia can play, and he is fine using the protective mask. As for Jules Koundé, he did not complete the training, and I have doubts about his participation tomorrow. I don’t think he will make it to the match, but we will wait until the last moment.”
The German coach also touched on the comparison between the current commitment and what happened last season, explaining: “The situation is completely different from what happened last season. I know that everyone is talking about the Club Brugge match, and the players know what happened there, we talked about everything that happened on the field. Now we must see this work reflected on the ground.”
In his speech about Barcelona’s return to its historic Camp Nou stadium, Flick said: “I hope so. If we look at history, it has always been the case. The stadium is amazing, and I felt great feelings yesterday, there was positive energy. For the future and the club, this is the most important thing. I congratulate everyone who participated in this project.”
Regarding the young goalkeeper Juan Garcia and the possibility of him joining the Catalan team’s list, Flick explained: “We are happy with his development, but we will wait until after the international break.”
He also confirmed that he had not spoken with the national team coaches about how to manage the playing minutes of his players, saying: “No, we have not talked about that.”
When asked about missing the player Gavi, he replied with regret: “It is nice to think that he could have been with us, he is a very important player for us. His personality and mentality are an example to follow. I would be happy with his return, whether for him personally or for the club, but we have to wait.”
Regarding the young star Lamine Yamal, Flick said: “Lamine tries every day to train better, he has become more disciplined, and he must maintain continuity until he fully recovers from his injury. I ask him for the same thing that I ask for here in the club, to be taken care of well. He has changed a lot, he has become better physically, and he trains well, even in the gym. He follows a daily treatment program, which is very important for his condition.”
He added: “We see Yamal approaching his best levels, but he has not yet reached 100%. He still feels some pain, so we have to protect him, and I think the national team is doing that too.”
Flick concluded his statements by emphasizing the importance of translating what is said behind closed doors into actual performance on the field, saying: “Everything we talk about must appear on the field, because words alone are not enough. We need a real reaction that shows the players’ commitment and determination to move in the right direction.”
