Barcelona sporting director Deco explained the logic behind Hans-Dieter Flick's appointment as head coach in 2024. According to him, after Xavi, the club needed a coach who could bring calm and balance to the team, especially in a dressing room with a lot of youth.
As Deco emphasized, Barcelona has always had a unique atmosphere: great pressure, high demands, at the same time trust in youth and a commitment to results. Now, he said, this atmosphere is becoming more stable, "balanced". In short, the main goal at the club is not to control the game on the field, but also to manage the order and mood within the team.
Because the squad is very mixed: on the one hand - young players, on the other - experienced and capable of providing leadership. Deco mentioned Rafinha, Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kunde as examples. Robert Lewandowski is also in the team. Another important point: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is currently on loan, remains one of the leading figures for the club.
According to Deco, managing such a dressing room is a great art. The key to success was choosing a coach who had worked in the environment of big clubs, who had seen the pressure, and who could organize a team with big goals. And here Flick's experience was decisive:
- He worked as an assistant in the German national team,
- he gained experience in a winning team environment,
- he has been a high-level coach for years.
That is, the club chose Flick not "only for tactics", but also for the team's psychology, discipline and management culture. Deco's conclusion is this: sometimes the most difficult task at Barcelona is to manage the pressure yourself, not the opponent.
It should be noted that Flick previously worked for the German national team and Bayern Munich. At the moment, Barcelona is leading the La Liga table with 58 points. So, the choice made by the club is not only "beautiful on paper", but so far the results have justified themselves.
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