It is no secret that FC Barcelona were not exactly too happy with the progress they have made in recent seasons. Following Xavi Hernandez’s rather disappointing last season in charge, the Catalan club felt like they needed a swift change. Eventually, that desire arrived in the form of a managerial change for the head coach of the Barcelona first team.
As Xavi Hernandez departed, former Bayern Munich and German National team coach Hansi Flick stepped in. Quite the peculiar decision for Barcelona, a club that has traditionally hired mainly Spanish coaches with an affinity for the way of playing that Barça themselves popularized and adapted.
Flick, on the other hand, comes in as a disciple of the German brand of Gegenpressing, something that overlaps with Barça’s way of playing but is inherently a completely different brand of football. However, if there is one element to Flick’s ideology that Barcelona really did appreciate even before his arrival, it was his focus on physical development.
It remains undoubted that Flick is a coach who puts a lot of emphasis on the physical and intensity-based development of his players. Without those key areas of growth, no group of players can even dream of thriving under the German coach.
As such, he continues to introduce new elements to the training sessions while also incorporating various recovery and examination methods to improve the team’s physical preparations. The latest addition that he seems to have made compulsory for his players is that of cryotherapy.
According to AS, this form of physical therapy has now been implemented by Flick on a more routine scale within Barcelona and it no longer only involves the veterans making use of it. Instead, even the youngsters and players recovering from injuries are beginning to make use of this technique.
Previously popularized largely by former Real Madrid and Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, Hansi Flick has decided to borrow a page from the Portuguese icon’s book to help improve the preparation and physical recovery of his players at Barcelona. A great step in the right direction, it should help the players recover better and more effectively.
The technique itself works as a great form of anesthetic and has great inflammatory benefits. It works in this way thanks to its ability to decrease the blood flow to damaged areas, whether it’s a sprain, swelling, or even a bruise on the player’s body. However, these innovations by Flick are not exactly surprising anymore, given that he has already introduced new medical examinations at the club as well.
