WATCH: The first words of the new Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, presentation date and expectations of Joan Laporta
Barcelona announced that Hansi Flick will take over from Xavi Hernandez on Wednesday, after the German coach signed a two-year deal with the club. He will not be introduced to the media or fans.
In stark contrast to Xavi's arrival, which saw him give a press conference and address fans at a jubilant Camp Nou, Flick will not be publicly unveiled until July. The reason, second Sport, is that Flick feels that he must acclimatise and settle in the club first, before facing the press. It will also give him time to improve his Spanish – he has been learning for several months, but it is not yet clear what his level is.
Barcelona published a video of Flick, however, where he explained that it was an honor to coach Barcelona, who believes in the Masia academy, and shares a similar vision of football to the philosophy of his new club.
The first words of Hansi Flick as #FCBarcelona coach. pic.twitter.com/rCaAcujBMm
— Football Spain (@footballespana_) May 29, 2024
The president Joan Laporta will speak to the press this week, however, to explain why the U-club reversed its decision to support Xavi in the space of a month. Laporta has kept quiet over the past two weeks, leaving Xavi to answer questions about his future.
The public handling of the affair has been one of the fiercest criticisms from Laporta's detractors, and he will no doubt face a lot of scrutiny the next time he answers questions. This will also be the case with Flick, but perhaps the biggest problem could be his Spanish. While there is a group of players who speak English along the way as their lingua franca, Flick will undoubtedly need to be able to communicate convincingly in Spanish to win over the local hearts of the players.
