FC Barcelona return to the UEFA Champions League action tonight after their elimination from the quarter-final stage at the hands of Paris Saint Germain last season. With the form they have shown in the league up to now, Barcelona fans will surely be excited to see their team perform in the premier European competition.
The Blaugrana head coach, Hansi Flick, has already addressed the press ahead of this game. The German coach addressed several questions about injured players and some young talents.
As is the custom for Champions League matches, a Barcelona player also addresses the press before Flick, and this time, it was Jules Kounde who took to the microphones to address journalists’ questions.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the French defender took this opportunity to highlight how the team has transformed since the appointment of the new coach:
“The team understands what the coach wants. When there’s a coaching change, there’s a new dynamic. He’s a very approachable coach, and the staff as well, paying attention to details. We have the squad to play this way, and everyone is doing their job very well. The forwards press, and we recover the ball closer to the goal. The forwards and everyone are eager to do it.”
“We’re going through a good moment, but since I arrived, we’ve had other good moments. Now it’s a new way of working, but we shouldn’t dismiss everything Xavi did. There were good moments, and we won a league title. It’s a good way of working that fits the team. The coach wants intensity throughout the game, and we’re getting it.”
The defender also shared that the team is looking to put in an improved performance in the Champions League than the last year:
“The objective at this club, when you enter a competition, is to win it. We know there are many top-level teams, and it’s difficult. With the new format, we will have to adapt, with more games. The goal should be to compete, be ourselves, and keep progressing. This year, we want more.”
There is no doubt that the Catalan team is performing at a very high level this season. Hopefully, they will be able to keep playing at this level in the UCL as well and get to the latter stages of the tournament to erase the memories of some of the recent haunting episodes that they have in this competition.
