It is true that FC Barcelona have taken a bit of a gamble with their new coach. Xavi’s departure has already been finalized, and the Spaniard is no longer in charge. In his place, however, Barcelona has decided to appoint German coach Hansi Flick.
Formerly a record-breaking manager at Bayern Munich, and also having spent some time as the manager of the German National team, Flick comes into Barcelona with a lot of top-level experience to his name.
However, given the fact that his origin is from Germany and that is where he has spent most of his managerial career, Barcelona knew that there may be a communication barrier once he arrived.
To address this, the Catalan club considered bringing in a new assistant for the German coach. For Barcelona, this assistant needed to be fluent in both Spanish and German to facilitate better communication with the players and have knowledge of both the Bundesliga and La Liga.
Ultimately, as pointed out by AS, Heiko Westermann is the man who is set to be tasked with this new role. He will be part of the coaching staff at FC Barcelona and help Hansi Flick in implementing his ways within the culture of the Catalan club.
While he may not be Thiago Alcântara or one of the other prominent names previously linked to this position, Westermann brings a wealth of experience. He previously played for Real Betis in Spain and is currently serving as an assistant coach for the German Under-19 National team.
Both Flick and his upcoming assistant share a history, having been connected to a degree in the lower levels of German football. Now, however, they face a much bigger challenge with far more at stake as they strive to represent Barcelona to the best of their abilities.
