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Barcelona began preseason with Raphinha uncertain about his future, Lamine Yamal sitting his high school exams, a retired Wojciech Szczesny smoking cigarettes on the beach in Marbella and coach Hansi Flick inheriting a team that had not won a trophy in two of the three previous campaigns.
On Thursday, they ensured the season ends with a domestic treble after beating city rivals Espanyol 2-0 to clinch the LaLiga title (stream the replay on ESPN+). They had already won the Spanish Supercopa and the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid in both finals as well as humbling them in two other Clásicos. Their run to the UEFA Champions League semifinals represents progress, too, even if elimination against Inter Milan was disappointing.
Raphinha, Yamal and Szczesny’s stories are just some of the many subplots from a campaign packed with them. At the centre of the story, though, is Flick, the German coach appointed to replace Xavi Hernández last summer. No one really knew how successful, if at all, he would be after an underwhelming spell in charge of the Germany national team. Even sources inside the club have told ESPN they are surprised by the level of success Barça have enjoyed this season.
To put Flick’s achievement into context, Barça’s odds of winning LaLiga when the season started were the longest they have been in preseason in at least 15 years, according to data from ESPN BET Sportsbook. They were so long, in part, because the team is so young. With teenagers Yamal and Pau Cubarsí already playing major roles, Flick has been working with the youngest squad in LaLiga. An average age of 24.1 — driven up by veterans Robert Lewandowski and Iñigo Martínez — also makes them Spain‘s youngest league winners this century.
Sources who have been around the team this season have highlighted to ESPN several reasons for Barça’s turnaround under Flick: the way the players bought into the high-line, high-risk, high-reward style of play; improved strength, fitness and injury prevention; a massive mentality shift; excellent man-management and the individual improvement in a significant number of key players.
Man-management and making players better
Last summer, Raphinha received a phone call that changed his and Barça’s fortunes. Fed up with always being substituted, he was considering leaving. Flick called him and told him not to be hasty. “Come back for preseason before you make any decision,” was the message. “I am counting on you.”
The Brazil international has gone on to have the best season of his career, registering over 50 goal contributions in all competitions. In the Champions League alone, he posted 21 in 14 appearances (13 goals, eight assists), beating Lionel Messi‘s club record (19) for goal contributions in the competition in a single season.
Raphinha is one of many players who have improved as a result of what sources call Flick’s “honest and affectionate” man management. In fact, you could make a case that almost everyone has improved one way or another.
During last summer’s UEFA European Championship, Flick regularly messaged his players, including Yamal, 16 at the time and taking his high school diploma, wishing them luck. Members of the squad were also impressed with how he dealt with Vitor Roque‘s exit. The Brazilian striker, signed last year for €30 million, was unwanted, but sources say Flick showed “genuine concern” and made sure he spoke with him to ensure his future was resolved in a satisfactory fashion.
Everything, of course, becomes easier when you’re winning. Flick’s 11 wins from his first 12 league games mean he’s not had to endure too many rough patches at the club yet.
It was during that start to the campaign that he turned to the youngsters. Due to midfield absences (Gavi and Frenkie de Jong were both nursing long-term injuries), Flick began the season with academy products Marc Bernal, 17, and Marc Casadó, 21, in the centre of the park. Sources say those two players appreciated the show of confidence, while the rest of the squad saw Flick would not only be fair with them but would prioritise picking players in their natural positions. In the past, more experienced players may have been asked to play out of position. Casadó, who like Raphinha was considering his future before Flick’s appointment, says the former Bayern Munich boss has “changed my life.”
Flick remained true to that philosophy in the big games, too. When Alejandro Balde got injured in March, he turned to the untested Gerard Martín, a 23-year-old who was playing in the Spanish third division two years ago, to play the Copa del Rey final and Champions League semifinal.
There has been a consistency to his command. A stickler for punctuality, he proved no one is exempt to the rules when twice dropping defender Jules Koundé for arriving late for team meetings. Goalkeeper Iñaki Peña also suffered the same fate in January, and this consistency has fostered an environment that has brought the best out of players who may not be considered starters. Ferran Torres has scored 19 goals despite being the backup forward, Eric García has delivered in a range of positions and Fermín López has contributed off the bench, netting the second goal as Barça won the title on Thursday.
Of course, it’s the starters who have driven Barça forward. While sources say it’s hard to quantify Flick’s role in the development of Yamal, who is a generational talent and already a Ballon d’Or contender, it’s no coincidence that so many players have enjoyed brilliant campaigns. Lewandowski, at 36, has had his best season for Barça, netting 40 goals in all competitions. Martínez, at 33, has been recast as the leader of Barça’s defence and asked to play a higher line than he ever did previously at Real Sociedad or Athletic Club. Balde, Pedri, De Jong … the list of improved players is endless.
Fitter, stronger and taking risks
Barcelona’s success this year cannot be spoken about without two words: high line. News conferences rarely pass without Flick answering a question about the huge gap between the back four and the goalkeeper. He almost gives the answer verbatim now: It’s not just the defence, it’s about the whole team, the important thing is the first man [in attack] and how we press in the final third.
Effectively, what has enabled Barça to keep their defensive block, on average, 68 yards from goal, the highest line in LaLiga, is their relentless pressing. A lot of that comes down to the work done by sporting director Deco last summer. In addition to the appointment of Flick, he overhauled the fitness department, bringing in Antonio Conte’s former coach Julio Tous, among others, to get the team as fit as possible.
Tous has played a big role in improving Barça’s strength, conditioning and injury prevention, but the numbers paint a clear picture of the effect he has had, too. No team registers more sprints over 13mph in LaLiga. Barça post 550.7 per game, up from 487 last season and almost 100 more than the 454 title rivals Madrid have managed this campaign. They also lead the league in fast recoveries (within five seconds of losing the ball) with 15.6 per game, 5.5 in the opponent’s half.
As Rayo Vallecano coach Iñigo Pérez put it, they not only have some of the best players in the world, but they run as hard as any other team. Win the ball back from them and the chances are you will see Raphinha hurtling towards you. The Brazilian has always been energetic but he’s reached new levels this year, making 59.2 sprints per game in comparison to 38 last term.
If it’s not Raphinha, it’s Pedri. Flick and Tous have come up with a plan to keep the talented midfielder fit following several seasons blighted by injuries, and they have reaped the results. He only played 1,482 minutes in LaLiga last season but has managed more than 2,700 this term. He leads Europe’s top five leagues in ball recoveries, with seven per game (3.4 last season) thanks to 49.2 sprints (36.1).
“It looks dangerous, but it’s not,” Flick said of the style of play after drawing 12 offsides in October’s 4-0 Clásico win at the Bernabéu. In total, they have drawn 169 offsides in LaLiga, over 50 more than any other team in Europe’s big five leagues.
It can be a high-wire act at times and has cost them, especially against Inter in the Champions League, but more often than not it’s delivered results. It has always delivered entertainment. With Raphinha and Yamal on the flanks, meaning Lewandowski has been able to have more touches in the box than in his first two campaigns at the club, Barça have scored four or more goals in 13 of their 36 league games.
It feeds into a bigger mentality shift at the club. Sources say Flick saw a talented squad, but felt belief was lacking. That is no longer true. Barça have overcome in-game setbacks repeatedly this season, coming from two goals down to either win or draw games on seven occasions.
Flick has led that change, but Yamal’s role should not be underestimated. He may only be a 17 but, as Flick says, “he is not a kid.” He is someone who has taken huge responsibility on and off the pitch, including as the dressing-room DJ, and he typifies the team’s never-say-die attitude. You only have to hear him speak to see the confidence he exudes, which club sources say has been infectious this year.
“If you are saying that another team is going to win, I don’t know why you go out on to the pitch to play, so of course we can win the treble,” he told ESPN last month. “We are Barça.” After beating Madrid 3-2 in the Copa final, he said: “While I’m winning, they can’t say anything [about him being arrogant]. When they beat me, they can.”
The change was encapsulated in last weekend’s 4-3 Clásico win. In years gone by, Barça have worried too much about how to stop Real and not focused on their own strengths. They previously panicked into playing Ronald Araújo at right-back to try and deal with Vinícius Junior. This year, they stuck García there, despite the presence of Kylian Mbappé, and went out to enjoy themselves. There was no fear.
Dealing with pressure
It’s one year since Xavi, Flick’s predecessor, said financial difficulties would hinder Barça’s chances of competing with Europe’s best. While sources are keen to avoid comparisons between Flick and Xavi, pointing out the former Barça midfielder also deserves some credit for this season’s domestic treble, it’s impossible to ignore how differently they have handled certain situations.
While Xavi bemoaned certain factors in and out of the club’s control, Flick has, generally speaking, remained quiet. He never publicly asked for the club to invest in the squad, he didn’t complain when uncertainty over Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor‘s registrations due to financial issues threatened to derail the season, and he has successfully avoided any traps set in news conferences related to Madrid, referees or any other awkward situations.
Sources say he has been able to do that because he comes from outside the Barça bubble, having never previously worked away from his homeland. Being a Barça legend as a player, so intrinsically linked to the club, weighed Xavi down.
That has, at times, left the media craving more. Flick only takes 12 questions per news conference (Xavi would take well over 20), but he can read the room. Before last week’s Clásico, he could sense the gathered media were left wanting a bit more, so granted two more questions and dropped in a funny line about Szczesny smoking.
It was the decision to play Szczesny, who came out of retirement in October to join the club when Marc-André ter Stegen was injured, over academy graduate Peña which he says was one of the most difficult moments of the season. Szczesny had relocated to Marbella after finishing his career at Juventus last term and was enjoying the beach, golf and a more relaxed lifestyle when Barça called. By January, he was the club’s first-choice goalkeeper as Flick looked to reverse a run of just five points from 21 in LaLiga, which, it turns out, was actually the only bad patch the team went through all season. They have remained unbeaten in LaLiga since and Flick was quick to avoid the goalkeeping debate becoming an issue, making it clear Szczesny would be the No.1.
March was also difficult when first-team doctor Carles Miññaro died unexpectedly at the team hotel before a game.
“Carles is now here,” Flick said, pointing up, after Barça won LaLiga. “He [would be] very proud about our team, what we saw in the last couple of months, so we think about him always. We don’t forget him, because he was a great part of our team and will always have a place in our hearts.”
Sources say Flick is as close to all the staff as he is to the players. He made sure all of them, even those who don’t usually attend games, were present at Espanyol on Thursday. He wants them all to be part of the parade on Friday, too, when Barça take an open-top bus around the city. Afterward, Flick acknowledged the team needs to improve next season. They can control games more and get better at managing leads. That analysis can wait for now, though.
“It’s time to celebrate,” he said. “Next season? I don’t do that now. We have a long break. We analyse everything after.”
How will this league title, the 28th of Barcelona’s history be remembered? As the league of Flick, the coach who came in when expectations were rock bottom and overturned a seven-point deficit in January to win the title with two games to spare? As the league of Yamal, the teenage phenomenon whose arrival at the top table may yet mark the start of another generation of dominance at the club? Or for Raphinha, or Pedri?
“[The league of] Barcelona,” Flick said. “It’s not about one guy.”
