BARCELONA’s new coach, Hansi Flick, has said the club is even bigger than he imagined after he was officially presented on Thursday, almost two months after his appointment was confirmed.
Flick, 59, replaced Xavi Hernández at the end of May and takes over a Barça side which failed to win a trophy last season.
Despite that, he is excited by what he has seen since taking over and insists he is ready for the pressure and expectations which come with the role.
“I could feel it from the first second, this is an unbelievable club,” the former Bayern Munich and Germany coach said. “It is an amazing club, very big, bigger than I imagined.
“For me, it’s one of the biggest clubs, maybe the biggest club. To win titles, you can only really win with the biggest clubs, which is why I am here.
“I am not saying we will win every title, but if we work hard, we can achieve and have options to be successful. We know hard work and results count, nothing else, but I am looking forward to this.”
Barça president, Joan Laporta, has previously said that “losing has consequences” and, in addition to winning trophies, there are also demands on Flick to play a certain style of attacking football.
“This is my job, I am coach of Barça and I know what happens,” he said when asked if he was ready for the pressure that will follow when the new La Liga season gets underway with a trip to Valencia on August 17.
“[The aim is] to play well, of course, but also to give everything on the pitch and be well prepared. The players have to show how it works on the pitch. For me, it’s crucial that you give 100% in training.
“I am not far away from the idea Barça played before when they had this unbelievable success with [Johan] Cruyff or Pep [Guardiola]. I want a team on the pitch that is active, with the ball and without the ball, dictating the rhythm of the play.”
ESPN
