Hansi Flick has been a revelation since taking over the reins at FC Barcelona. From making the team play an exciting, all guns blazing brand of football to nurturing youth that can be the cornerstone of the team for years to come, to reviving the careers of certain players.
One such player that belongs in the latter category is Raphinha, who has had his Barca career flipped upside down. From being regarded as a flop to being one of the leading candidates for this year’s Ballon d’Or, Raphinha’s fortunes have blossomed under Flick.
Flick is a manager known for his drive and passion for the sport as he wears his heart on his sleeve. He gives his all to the team, spending every second of the day thinking about tactics, formation, how to improve the team, and more.
However, the downside to being so obsessively driven is the fact that managers like him burn out very quickly. As Pep Guardiola, another manager in the same vein as Flick, left Barcelona, citing mental burnout, Barca fans are often worried about Flick and wonder whether he’ll leave for the same reason.
Lately, Barca has been faltering, which has caused frustrations for Flick. Regardless of the results, the performances on the pitch haven’t been up to the mark. At a club like Barcelona, where you’re always a couple of losses away from the club going into meltdown, Flick’s job becomes incredibly stressful.
This was on display in Barcelona’s last game. After a 3-0 embarrassment against Chelsea in the Champions League, Barca had to bounce back with a win, especially given they had been behind Real Madrid in the title race for a few weeks.
The match against Deportivo Alaves got off to a rocky start as Pablo Ibanez scored for the visitors in the 1st minute. Yamal and the returning Raphinha turned the game around, helping Barca secure a 3-1 win.
After the match, Flick was visibly emotional and had to be consoled by Raphinha. The Barca manager was sitting in the dugout, almost on the verge of tearing up, before Raphinha came up to him and had a brief chat.
Flick lifted the lid on what was said in the emotional post-match chat – “Raphinha was telling me the same thing I said last time: We will improve. We will be much better in the upcoming matches.”
This wasn’t the first time Raphinha looked out for Flick during the game. Earlier in the match, the Barca manager and the 4th official had a disagreement, and things got heated to the point that the officials started ignoring Flick.
The incident happened in the 65th minute as Barca’s goalkeeping coach, Jose Ramon de la Fuente, was sent off for throwing his iPad to the ground in disapproval after the ref refused to award a penalty to Barcelona. Raphinha looked out for Flick and stepped up to defend his boss, easing the situation and preventing Flick from suffering the same fate and getting sent off like the GK coach.
Flick was full of praise for the former Leeds star, whose return from injury will surely boost Barca’s fortunes and consistency.
Despite leapfrogging Real Madrid to the top spot, Hansi Flick is far from happy with how his team has been performing. Speaking about the state of performances, he said:
“I’m happy we won the three points, but we have to improve many things. Among other things, we had chances but didn’t finish them. And that’s what we need to improve.”
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona will look to consolidate their 1-point lead over Real Madrid as they face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a win for Atletico would take them joint top with Barcelona.
