New manager Hansi Flick has revealed he wants his Barcelona to be more purposeful and direct with the ball. He believes the Blaugrana must ditch their traditional passing style to be more formidable in front of goal.
After a disappointing 2023-24 season, during which the club failed to win any silverware, Barcelona relieved club legend Xavi of his responsibilities as manager. Shortly after his removal, the Blaugrana appointed Flick, who was in the opposition dugout when Bayern Munich inflicted a historic 8-2 defeat upon Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League season.
Hansi Flick Wants Barcelona To Be More Direct
Unlike Xavi and most of his successors, Flick has not graduated from the Barcelona School of Management. He does not share their love for passing. Instead, he values directness. He loves the idea of getting to the opposition’s goal in the fewest possible moves.
Discussing how he wants his team to operate over the course of his tenure, Flick told Barca ONE (via ESPN):
“Here the tradition is to play with passing, but I also want them to go straight to the goal. They should focus a bit more on scoring. I don’t think my style has any major changes.
“I’m looking for the same thing, to press high up, and to play in the opponent’s midfield. But, at the end of the day, everything is about winning games.”
Barcelona have had a lean few years, failing to dominate European competitions like they used to. They have not won the UEFA Champions League since the 2014-15 season and suffered a group-stage exit in two of the last three seasons.
A shock to the system, like Flick is proposing, could help Barcelona rediscover their groove. If implemented properly, they should be able to catch the opposition off-guard, as no one would anticipate such a level of directness from the kings of possession.
Barcelona begin their pre-season campaign with a clash against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on July 30. They will then take on Real Madrid (August 3) and AC Milan (August 6) in their final two friendlies in the United States.
They will commence their La Liga journey with a clash with Valencia on August 17.
