Hansi Flick talks Fabregas, Raphinha, Abdelkarim, Cubarsi ahead of Barcelona vs Levante

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·12 September 2026

Hansi Flick talks Fabregas, Raphinha, Abdelkarim, Cubarsi ahead of Barcelona vs Levante

FC Barcelona have had a very good start to the 2026-27 season, having impressed and won all of their five games up to now. Their most recent fixture was against Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League, which they won 5-1, and now the Catalans will return to La Liga for the next match, which is against Levante.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, Hansi Flick addressed the press ahead of this match, and talked about several matters related to his team and the upcoming game.

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The German coach expressed his happiness with the way his team has started the season:

“We are very happy to be performing at this level, but we know that we have to show it in every match. We have great quality and maintain our intensity and concentration. If we lose any of these things, it will not be good.”

Meanwhile, the Barcelona coach was looking for his team to improve even further:

“Our objective and what we want is to be better every day, with everyone hungry to improve.”

Flick assured that his team will continue to play the same way going forward as well:

“That is how we want to play football. I like that we are enjoying the situation, but we remain focused. If we change anything, we will be heading in the wrong direction.”

The German coach was quite clear that the players will have to accept rotations:

“It is part of the game. The players have to accept it. In every position, we have two or three players who can play, and that is something we have to accept. The other day against Feyenoord, I was very satisfied. We are in a good moment and we have to keep going like this.”

The Barcelona coach returned Cesc Fabregas’ compliments, who had recently spoken highly of the Blaugrana trainer:

“We are focused on what we have in our hands. I am also impressed with Cesc’s Como. I watched the match against Leipzig and they did very well. We are only thinking about the next match. It is important to have this mentality of taking it one game at a time. We are on a good path, but it is a long journey until the end of the season.”

Flick discussed his options for the center-forward position:

“We have three different profiles, but Gordon, Adeyemi and Olmo can also play, as can Fermín. We have several options. Rapha is playing fantastically; he is incredible. If he plays like this, for me, he is one of the best players in the world.”

The German coach was expecting a difficult game against Levante:

“It is your job to ask the questions. Levante played a great match against Betis. They are well structured. They know how to play in attack, and it will be a good match to compete in.”

The Barcelona trainer was happy with the renewal of Hamza Abdelkarim:

“The club has done very well. He is a player who performed well in pre-season and is competing with other players. He has a different profile and is a great project for the club’s future. We had to keep him at the club.”

Flick spoke highly of his defenders, especially Pau Cubarsi:

“The squad is better than last year’s. We talk a lot about the attack because we score many goals, but for me, the defense is very important. And I see that everyone is performing at a fantastic level. After the World Cup, Cubarsí is playing at a different level. I am very happy. He has confidence and is more focused on his body. He has improved physically, especially for his position. With the ball, he is playing fantastically, whether alongside Christensen or Gerard. We have done a fantastic job.”

Despite some changes, the German coach remained satisfied with the level of his team:

“It is a new philosophy. We take into account the movements the players make on the pitch. New coaches have arrived, but the quality of the team and the work being done are good. The energy is very positive. All the players can feel it. We are at a high level.”

However, the Barcelona tactician refused to take any credit for the good work he has done with his team so far:

“I don’t usually talk much about myself because I am only the coach. The players are the ones who do the work. I have a great team, full of expert professionals. It is incredible. For the moment, everything is going well and I am very happy with the situation. I am enjoying it, but I know that I am not the important person at the club. I really appreciate the work of the players.”

Despite aiming for the UCL, Flick assured that La Liga also remains a key objective for him:

“Nothing changes compared to the last two years. This year we want to win the Champions League; that is our objective, but it is also important to win LaLiga. Winning it three times in a row would be incredible. It is more about what I expect from the way we train and how we keep ourselves fit, our diet and our sleep.

We have to look after our bodies and minds. Sometimes it is good to relax a little. We support them. We have experts who know what they are doing. We have the infrastructure to improve. We have to improve the facilities, and that is important. You have seen the new gym. I hope it is finished soon. That way, we will have more space indoors. Everything is aimed at improving the players.”

Hopefully, these activities from Barcelona will allow Hansi Flick to even further improve the team and finally win the long-awaited UEFA Champions League title this year.