With Xavi Hernandez’s dismissal at the end of the last season, FC Barcelona decided to bet on the German tactician, Hansi Flick, to lead the team for the next season, and turn around their fortunes after a trophyless season.
The club has already announced his appointment, and Flick will start his career at the Catalan club by making some key decisions that can turn out to be pivotal for the upcoming season. Mundo Deportivo has outlined eight such areas where Flick will have to make some decisions in his early days as the Barcelona head coach.
First, Flick will have to decide on the training and preparation plans that he will be utilizing in the upcoming pre-season. Barcelona will be traveling to the United States for their pre-season tour, and will be facing some difficult opponents, including Manchester City and Real Madrid, and these matches will provide a good indication of how Flick will take the team forward.
Second, the German also has to complete his staff that will assist him with the difficult task of managing a team as big as Barcelona. Some names like Markus Sorg, Toni Tapalovic, and Heiko Westermann have already been revealed in the media, but other pieces are still to be added to this team.
Third, Flick will also have to make a decision on whether the on-loan players, Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, are to be retained in the team for another season. Barcelona wants both of them to continue at the club, but the former Bayern Munich trainer will make a final decision on this matter.
Fourth, selecting the youth team players for the upcoming pre-season will be another difficult matter for the German tactician to deal with, especially keeping in view the high quality of talent present in the quarry and the youth teams.
Barcelona Atletic’s play-offs, which are set to be concluded by June 23, will provide some indications to Flick in this aspect.
Fifth, the new Barcelona coach will also have to decide the next midfield pivot for his team, especially as Guido Rodriguez seems to have slipped out of the Catalans’ hands, and Kimmich and Zubimendi both looking difficult to get.
Mikel Merino looks to be a realistic option for Barcelona, but Flick will have to give his green light to whichever candidate he wants for this position.
Sixth, Barcelona are looking to incorporate a winger to reinforce the left-wing position, and Luiz Diaz was one of the favorites for this role. But with his recent comments, it seems difficult that Barcelona will be able to sign him.
Barcelona also have Nico Williams on their radar, but will have to sell one of their current players, Raphinha being the most likely candidate, to be able to afford him, and Flick will have to decide which player to get and whom to sell for this purpose.
Seventh, Vitor Roque’s future is highly uncertain and Barcelona want him to go on a loan this summer. The player himself wants to stay, but if he ends up leaving, Flick will have to decide on who will replace the Brazilian in his squad.
Lastly, Ansu Fati, whose loan at Brighton was unable to restart his career, wants to stay in the Barcelona team for the next season, and the German coach will have to decide whether he should be given an opportunity in the pre-season.
These decisions can end up determining not only the outcome of the next season, but also the German’s entire tenure at Barcelona. So, hopefully, he will make all the right decisions, and repeat the success that he had with Bayern Munich in his first season in charge of the Bavarian team.
