Hansi Flick talks Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Eric, Frenkie, Pedri, Fermin, ahead of Barcelona vs Girona | OneFootball

With the October international break now over, FC Barcelona are set to return to action today, Saturday, against local rivals Girona in La Liga.

The Blaugranes will aim to earn all three points, both to climb back to the top of the table and to bounce back from the poor run of form they endured prior to the international break.

Hansi Flick will be boosted by the return of several players who had been unavailable in recent games, although a few others will still need more time before returning to action.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the German coach addressed the press conference ahead of this match and talked about different aspects of the team and the game ahead.

The main highlights of his presser are as follows:

Lamine Yamal has been making a lot of headlines because of his private life lately, but the Barcelona coach only commended his efforts when asked about this media spotlight:

“For me, the important thing is that he makes an effort and has a good attitude. After his injury, he trained a lot and had two days off. It’s his private life, and I won’t get involved.”

Hansi Flick also praised Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong:

“Eric has improved a lot. For a team, it’s very good to have a player like Eric. I’m also very happy that Frenkie has renewed his contract.”

The German coach refrained from giving any opinion on the La Liga game that is set to be played in Miami:

“I understand that some players may not be happy, but La Liga is the one who decides, and we’ll have to play. We’ll have the Christmas break between the last match and the first of the year against Espanyol. We have to respect that.”

The Barcelona coach also talked at some length about what he is looking to get from his team:

“I always say that when we defend, I include everyone. The striker wants us to create chances, but defenders also want forwards to press. In the end, it’s about the mentality we have on the pitch. As I’ve said, we are Barça and our fans want to see us fight in every situation.”

“It’s a new season and we lost against Sevilla. We’re two points behind Madrid and have also lost in the Champions League. We have to start every match with a good attitude. We must fight for all the titles again. Not all players are available, but that’s also an opportunity for the youngsters and those who’ve had fewer minutes.”

The German coach was hopeful of having Raphinha for the match against Real Madrid:

“Let’s hope he’s ready for El Clásico. That’s our plan. Sometimes there are issues in recovery processes, but he’s on the right track.”

Flick rued the physical issue suffered by Robert Lewandowski:

“I don’t think there’s any player who takes better care of his body than Robert, and he told me he didn’t think he had an injury. He always takes great care of himself. There’s no one his age—maybe Ronaldo—who’s in such good shape. It’s bad for us, but we have to work through it.”

Some media reports had suggested that sporting director Deco had to intervene to prevent Flick from benching Yamal for arriving late to a team meeting before the PSG match. Flick categorically denied these claims:

“I’d like to know where they got that from. It’s nonsense. Never—neither Deco nor anyone from the club—has said anything like that to me. They trust my work and would never ask me for anything. It’s nonsense. I have nothing to hide. If someone said that, they’re lying.”

The German coach also gave some idea of the starting lineup that he might pick for the upcoming game:

“I think Frenkie played on Sunday and has rested. Pedri has had less rest but is in good shape. We always take that into account and have to take care of the players. We have the best in the world, and it’s normal that we contribute players to the national teams.”

Flick again lamented the absence of his two main attacking players:

“Robert told me the same thing as the national coach. He felt fine and had no pain. We know these things can happen during international breaks. It’s not easy for players, and it affects us a lot. All the travel, going to the Ballon d’Or gala… Raphinha is one of the most important players on the team, and we miss him. He’ll be back soon. We have to manage everything well.”

The Blaugrana tactician hinted at using some academy talents in the match against Girona:

The Barcelona manager also highlighted the importance of starting this match on the right foot:

“There’s nothing I can do. We have to find solutions. Lamine and Fermín are back, but they can’t play 90 minutes. If we play at a good level, we can beat anyone. The important thing is to start the match well. We have to play at our best level, and that’s what I expect from the team.”

Flick ended the presser by asking Barcelona players to put in a fight in this game:

“I want my players to fight to win the match.”

Hopefully, the players will respond to this call from Hansi Flick and put in a good performance against a challenging Girona team to get back to winning ways today.