Barça’s Flick: Racing are a strong team, we must be careful

Barcelona have started the season strongly right from the first match. The Blaugrana have won all five of their games so far, showing excellent physical form and scoring a flurry of goals. Ahead of tomorrow’s match against Racing Santander, Hansi Flick spoke at a press conference, addressing various topics: from his players’ focus to possible lineup decisions and clarifying the situation of several players.

“We have had the chance to watch Racing’s matches; they are a strong team, well-coached and well-organized. I absolutely do not want my players to take this match lightly. I don’t care about records; my only objective is to win matches. Tomorrow will not be easy, but we must be ready.”

“The schedule doesn’t allow us to fully recover, so there could be some rotation tomorrow. I will assess the best team to field with my staff. Of course everyone wants to be a starter, but we also need to manage our energy levels; we need to manage this situation well.”

“We have many players who can play as full-backs, two on the right and two on the left. I strongly believe in Balde, but right now Xavi Espart is giving me something extra. Nobody expected this kind of performance from him. I understand Alejandro — when you’re a regular starter, it’s not easy to sit on the bench — but he’s showing me a lot; he will have his chances.”

On the Ballon d’Or — “Of course I want Lamine to win that award. We are happy to have him among us; he is an extraordinary player, all the fans are crazy about him. His words? He is convinced he is one of the best in the world; I don’t see what he said as wrong. He can certainly improve a lot more, but he deserves to win such a prestigious trophy.”

Finally, a small promise for the Champions League final, which will be played at Camp Nou in 2029: “It is a great pleasure that such a prestigious match can be played in our stadium. I will be there, whether as a coach or as a Barcelona fan!”