Former German football coach Hansi Flick has been given a contract in Barcelona until 2026. The Catalans remember his glorious time at FC Bayern above all else. Will he also lead Barça back to its former glory?
After his unsuccessful stint as national coach, Hansi Flick wants to build on his past successes at the glorious FC Barcelona. After an unprecedented back and forth regarding former Barça coach Xavi, the Catalans have signed the 59-year-old as their new coach. Flick will receive a contract in Barcelona until June 30, 2026, the club announced on Wednesday. Previously, there had been months of speculation about Barcelona being Flick’s dream destination.
Flick addressed his first message in a video in Catalan to the Barça fans known as “Culers”: “Culers, it is our time. Força Barça,” said Flick.
Hansi Flick’s appointment was preceded by months of chaos
He is now expected to lead the heavily indebted club to new glory. However, his failed engagement as national coach, which resulted in the team being eliminated in the group stage at the World Cup in Qatar, is unlikely to have served as a reference point for the Catalans. Rather, they remember Flick’s successful time at FC Bayern: in just over a year and a half as head coach, Flick won several titles with the Munich team from the end of 2019 to the summer of 2021. On the way to winning the Champions League in 2020, there was a memorable 8-2 win against Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
Flick’s appointment was preceded by months of chaos. Barcelona club legend Xavi announced in January that he would be resigning after the end of this season. Even then, Flick was being considered as a possible successor. The first turnaround followed in April, when Xavi, President Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco agreed to continue working together until at least 2025. But then the 44-year-old was told last Friday that he was leaving because Xavi’s public statements about the club’s financial situation and the lack of international competitiveness of his squad are said to have massively angered the Barça management.
Instead, Flick is now taking over. His advisor Pini Zahavi has a good relationship with President Laporta, which is one of the reasons why speculation about his involvement had already surfaced from time to time.
Matthew is pleased
“I’m very happy for Hansi. He has been in contact with FC Barcelona for a long time, the club had put out feelers for him. Hansi was patient and can now go to an absolute world club,” said record-breaking international player Lothar Matthäus to “Bild”. “Hansi’s style suits Barcelona. He wants his teams to play offensively and attractively.”
In Barcelona, he will also meet Marc-André ter Stegen and Ilkay Gündogan, whom he promoted to captain of the national team. Flick knows attacker Robert Lewandowski from his time at FC Bayern. “With ter Stegen, Gündogan and Lewandowski, he immediately has three people he can relate to, which is important. He made Ilkay Gündogan captain at the DFB, which speaks for their special relationship,” explained Matthäus.
Source: Stern
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