The security guard at the Barcelona Sports City suddenly stands up from his seat, surprised, upon seeing Hansi Flick appear in the darkness. It's seven in the morning. It won't be the first time. Other early risers in the city also encounter the German coach while he walks his dog along Diagonal an hour earlier. If someone recognizes him, he doesn't hesitate to smile. Nothing more.
Flick chose to live in a central area, not in a house on the outskirts by the sea like many players, to have easy access to Sant Joan Despí, where the Sports City is located, and quick access to Montjuïc or Camp Nou. Flick doesn't ask anyone to arrive at seven in the morning, but he demands that all players be ready when he appears to lead training. A delay, no matter how minimal, results in the most painful punishment. No fines that are paid with laughter in elite locker rooms to then enjoy a feast. No. What hurts is being benched. Just ask Koundé or Iñaki Peña. What might seem like the punishment of an iron sergeant, of an immovable leader, is, according to the German, quite the opposite, a way to unite the group because being late is a lack of respect for the work and for teammates.
The rule is the cornerstone of the emotional ecosystem built by this 60-year-old German in a very short time, and it is the basis of the success of the same team that had Xavi Hernández, except for the arrival of Dani Olmo, with a role, for now, circumstantial. The same players, once lackluster and passive, now play possessed by an unstoppable frenzy. The rule is the armor of respect, with respect comes dialogue, and good dialogue allows the release of passions. These are the key elements in Flick's reconstruction, with the contribution of a tailored physical preparation, and a risky tactical system that can only be executed if there is unwavering belief in the coach. In the German's "Maginot Line," a doubt is a goal.
The emotional castle built in Montjuïc largely replicates Flick's work at Bayern. If he arrived in Barcelona to replace a confused and overwhelmed coach, in Munich he did the same to replace another, Nico Kovac, who was distant and at odds with the players. He conquered the treble in his first year (Bundesliga, Cup, and Champions League), and the following year completed the feat with two Super Cups and the Club World Cup. Inter prevented him from replicating that first year in Barcelona.
Second to Joachim Löw in the German national team since 2008, when he watched from the bench as Torres' goal decided the Euro for Spain, until the World Cup title in Brazil, the opinions of internationals like Neuer or Müller, who were at odds with Kovac, facilitated his arrival at Bayern. In weeks, the atmosphere changed. "The coach's door is always open. He has a very positive way of leading the team; I had never seen anything like it," said Alaba, current Real Madrid player, to Kicker. The relationship also garnered admiration outside. "He knows how to convince players and make them smile," said a legend, Lothar Matthäus.
That part of his work had left a mark in Germany. So much so that when Joan Laporta, convinced that he needed to sign a coach from the new German school after his return to the presidency, sought the advice of Ralf Rangnick, now the Austrian national team coach, he reached the same conclusion. Laporta mentioned Jürgen Klopp, Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel, and Flick himself. Rangnick explained that the offensive style of play of all of them could fit at Barça, but he distinguished a quality in Flick: the ability to build teams and work with young players. Forced to focus on the youth academy due to the crisis, Laporta was clear. However, the president yielded to a Barcelona sentiment leaning towards Xavi Hernández, the prodigal son, amidst nostalgia for the lost paradise. When, three years later, he had to replace the Catalan, he didn't hesitate, also favored by Flick's negative experience with the national team, where he lacked daily contact with the players.
When Deco and Bojan Krkic met with the German in London, they were surprised to find that he had a sort of file on the Barcelona players. He would have liked to have Joao Félix, whom he believed he could benefit from, but it was too late. The first thing he conveyed was that Gündogan was not suitable for the speed that Barcelona needed. He returned to City.
During negotiations, Flick requested to bring his assistants. The first, Marcus Sorg, his second, who as the U-19 national team coach won a European Championship after eliminating Luis de la Fuente's Spain. Also Heiko Westermann and Toni Tapalovic, who had been a goalkeeper coach at Bayern for over 10 years but at Barça focused on tactics and set plays. Deco agreed, but informed him that the club had already made a decision regarding physical preparation. Julio Tous would take charge, having worked with Antonio Conte at Juventus, Chelsea, and the Italian national team. The pace of Conte's teams was frenetic. Flick accepted. After the 7-0 win against Valladolid on August 31, he called the sporting director and thanked him for the decision. "It's difficult to find a coach with whom you have such great harmony and can influence everything," says Tous, who boasts of making his players run like "horses."
On the day of that 7-0 victory, Flick had a private conversation with Héctor Fort to explain why he hadn't given him minutes, despite the scoreline. He did the same with Lamine Yamal or Gavi in other situations, especially with the young players. Also with Iñaki Peña, who lost his place to Szczesny. He commands and decides, but explains the reasons and negotiates if he deems it appropriate, like when Araujo and Raphinha, captains, asked to return from the Super Cup on the same night of the title, contrary to the initial plan. He agreed before playing against Madrid. They triumphed. They have not stopped, engaged in the adventure of a character disguised in his translated English outside, but who trains emotions like no other.