• Sunday, June 23, 2024
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BusinessDay

Flick targets titles at Barcelona

Hansi Flick-Barcelona

New Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has his sights set on winning titles after signing a two-year contract with the La Liga side.

The former Germany and Bayern Munich manager steps in to revive Barcelona’s fortunes following a trophyless season that led to Xavi Hernandez’s dismissal.

Flick, who has been out of club management since he departed from the German national team in September 2023, is tasked with steering Barcelona back to success.

The club emphasized his reputation for high-pressing, intense, and daring styles of play, which have earned him significant success at both club and international levels.

“It’s an honour and a dream to be the Barcelona coach,” Flick said. “I’m really looking forward to starting work with this amazing club. Since I arrived, I’ve seen that everyone loves this club and does everything they can for its success,” he told Barca TV.

“In the first team, there’s a good mix of experienced and talented young players. We need to work to improve. I won several titles with Bayern Munich, and I’d like to continue this path at Barcelona.”

The Catalan club highlighted Flick’s accomplishments during the 2019-20 season with Bayern, where he won six trophies, including the Bundesliga, German Cup, Champions League, German Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup.

Xavi was dismissed after a season in which Barca finished 10 points behind champions Real Madrid, lost the Spanish Super Cup final to their rivals, and were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.

Flick faces the challenge of addressing Barcelona’s on-field struggles amidst off-pitch issues, including financial difficulties and a long-running refereeing scandal.