The name of the season at FC Barcelona has undoubtedly been Hansi Flick. Laporta and Deco’s gamble paid off, and the coach’s influence has been key. The sporting director already said it before the Champions League semifinal: “We had won La Liga and last season we reached the Champions League quarterfinals. We knew that with a better coach and some internal changes we could improve, and that’s what happened.”
The improvement has been evident. Barça fought until the last minute for the treble, falling just three minutes short of a place in the Champions League final. The double is now within reach after winning El Clásico last Sunday. This Clásico victory is the fourth win over Real Madrid this season, having also won in La Liga, the Copa del Rey final and the Spanish Super Cup.
One of the coach’s strengths has been creating that team spirit and ensuring that everyone is prepared and competitive when they get their chance. In addition, as Raphinha himself has said on numerous occasions, Flick has significantly improved the performance of players such as the Brazilian, De Jong and Pedri.
The titles and good work on the pitch have earned the coach a well-deserved contract renewal. After the victory in El Clásico, according to various media reports, president Laporta, the agent and the coach dined at the Botafumeiro restaurant, toasted the victory and sealed the German coach’s future at the club. The announcement will be made official once Barça has secured the league title.
The agreement would involve a contract renewal that will extend until 2027. The coach already had a contract until 2026 and has made it clear on more than one occasion in press conferences that he is in favor of short contracts and not committing himself long term.
“We don’t feel like champions. It would be nice to win three titles,” said the coach after the important victory against Real Madrid. He does not yet see himself as champion and therefore, although there is an agreement, it will not be made official until the team is crowned champion, as the coach does not want any distractions from the purely sporting aspect and wants the spotlight to be on the pitch and not on anything outside of sport.