Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick says he excited for the new LaLiga season to get underway despite missing some of his key players for pre-season.
The Spanish giants employ the likes of Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Pedri, who were all part of Spain’s Euro 2024 winning squad earlier this summer.
But Flick is powering on with his preparations for the new campaign and has enlisted the help of former Liverpool midfielder Thiago to his coaching staff.
Barca have the tough task of dethroning champions and Champions League winners Real Madrid in 2024-25, but the former Germany boss is hoping his philosophy can get the Blaugrana competing on all fronts and is aiming to hit the ground running next month.
Speaking to the media, Flick said: “When I decided to become a coach, I followed Barcelona because they were playing great football.
“You can see it in how they develop their players. The passion you can feel here is unbelievable and that’s why I’m so excited.
“Barcelona’s philosophy is similar to what I did at Bayern. My goal since I started as a professional coach is to play this way. I studied a lot of things about the Dutch School. My goal is to gain control on the pitch.
“We always want to be active with and without the ball. Without the ball we want to direct the opponents to the place we want so that we can take the ball from them there.”
🎙️ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐈 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊!
Available now on @BarcaOneFCB— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 22, 2024
Flick’s attacking brand of football is sure to excite the flocks of supporters that gather in the Camp Nou each season, but how will he compete with Los Blancos and Carlo Ancelotti?
Bringing in key players is a priority for the 59-year-old and Nico Williams is a key target for Barcelona this summer.
Additions to the coaching staff may also prove to be crucial and Flick has already spoken highly of Thiago, who he reveals had been on his mind from the moment he took the job.
He added: “We spoke a lot when he was at Liverpool. When he decided to put an end to his career, I asked him if he wanted to join my staff.
“When he arrived you can see that Thiago is very loved.”
Barca will head to the US for their pre-season tour where they will face several giants of football including Manchester City and arch-rivals Madrid.
When they return to Spain, they will gear up for their first LaLiga fixture against Valencia on 17 August.