Xavi’s successor, Hansi Flick arrived at FC Barcelona with the certainty that his adventure would be fraught with pitfalls due to the difficult financial situation of the Catalan club. But for the moment, it is clear that the German manages to get ahead of Real Madrid and its galactics (Barça is leader of the Liga rankings). And if the former Bayern Munich coach succeeds, it is perhaps because he was able to impose iron discipline on the Blaugrana. A.S. teaches us the ten most important points of the discipline imposed by Flick.
Unsurprisingly, the first concerns punctuality to training. And be careful, because the German asks that players and staff be present 1h30 before the start of the session (11am). The second point is the weighing of the players every day before training. For the moment, no player has been called to order, but the media specifies that there has not been so much “marking” regarding the weight of players since the passage of Luis Enrique. Food always, the Blaugranas do not have to eat all together, but they must all eat the same meal prepared by the team nutritionist.
A mix of authority and accountability
Then, three points concern the matches. Before matches, Flick imposes a physical “activation” session, before returning to the custom of a common lunch even before home matches. Finally, when the team plays away in the evening, it no longer returns the same evening, but the following morning, in order to allow the players to have a full night’s sleep. The seventh point mentioned refers to training that is considered longer and more intense. A feeling that was confirmed by the young defender Pau Cubarsi. Eighth part: sanctions. Since Flick arrived, the Blaugranas’ wallets have been smiling again.
In the event of indiscipline, the German withdrew the financial sanctions. Flick considers his players to be professionals who know what they do well and what they do not. Cases of indiscipline are now punished differently (the newspaper does not specify how). Ninth point: days of rest. Flick would hate to give his flock days off. For him, a day without working is a day wasted. However, well aware of the overloaded schedule, the Blaugrana coach would be more lax during periods like the international break. Finally, the tenth point is Flick’s desire to impose a certain distance with his players. While some coaches and/or presidents like to play cronyism, none of that at Flick. The door to his office remains open, but there is a line that must not be crossed.
