Flick talks Cancelo, Araujo, Joan Garcia, Eric, Ferran, Lewandowski ahead of Barcelona vs Athletic Club | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will begin the defence of their Spanish Super Cup crown tomorrow when they take on Athletic Club in the semi-finals in Jeddah.

Coming into the game on the back of a hard-earned victory over RCD Espanyol in the Catalan derby, Hansi Flick & co. will be gunning to carry forward the momentum and secure a place in the final.

Ahead of the big clash in Jeddah, manager Flick addressed the media in his pre-match press conference, discussing various topics, including the imminent signing of Joao Cancelo.

Kicking things off, the German tactician touched upon the format and the importance of the Super Cup, saying:

“This tournament is a little different from Germany, but I like it. There are four teams, and we did very well last year. Winning the Super Cup gave us energy for the whole season, and that’s what we want this year.”

Later on, he added: “I’ve told the team that there are two games left to win the title. That’s motivation enough. At Barça, you want to win titles. That’s what the club and the fans want. We’re here to be successful.”

Flick then shed light on the thought process that went into the Catalans’ moving to sign Joao Cancelo, despite having initially planned to sign a centre-back this month.

“I spoke with my staff and we think that when Ronald is back we have good alternatives at centre-back. Joao can play at both full-backs,” he said.

“It’s not a done deal, but I’d be happy if it goes through. We talked about signing a centre-back, but this is a good option for these six months.”

Talking more about the deal and how Barcelona’s economic situation affects transfer plans, Flick elaborated:

“We’ve had a situation these past two years where we have to be smart about the players we sign. We can’t spend billions. Our players are progressing. Our youngsters are developing, and we have faith in them.

“Now we have the opportunity to bring in a veteran. I’d appreciate it if he comes.”

Cancelo set to return to Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

At the same time, he provided an update on Ronald Araujo’s situation, confirming that the Uruguayan was not in contention for the semi-final as things stand.

“We’ll see him in training. I want to talk to him. We haven’t decided yet. If he’s ready, maybe we’ll change something. Right now, he’s not in our plans,” said Flick.

Commenting further upon Araujo’s situation, the manager remarked: “These things happen. We have to take care of the players. All of them. The players are under pressure, and we’re all human.

“We make mistakes, and we have to be there to support them. I appreciate what the club did in this situation. Ronald is a very important player for us, one of the captains. I hope he gets back to his best.”

Looking forward to the game against Athletic Club tomorrow, the Barcelona manager remarked:

“We’re playing against the best teams in Spain. Athletic has many attacking options and it won’t be easy. If we make the same mistakes as in the derby, it won’t be easy. We’ll see tomorrow. We need to play much better defensively. Sometimes I miss that.”

“We already did it in La Liga. Inaki wasn’t there. They have fast players, but we know what we want to do. We know our strengths and what it takes to win.”

On whether he believes Barcelona are the favourites to take home the Super Cup again, Flick noted:

“Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao also believe they can win. It’s two matches against two very good teams.”

The Barça boss also confirmed who will be the starting goalkeeper in the tournament, saying: “It will be Joan Garcia.”

Joan Garcia will start in goal. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

As for the midfield department, where he now has plenty of options again, Flick explained:

“Eric has shown he can play in many positions. Frenkie has done well as a defensive midfielder. Pedri was injured and we had to adapt.

“The most important thing, and we saw it in the derby, is who plays as a number 10. With Fermun, it was very good. That’s what we need in that position.

“Frenkie and Pedri are players who can hold onto the ball and defend well. We have options. Eric can play in other positions as well.”

There is also a strong competition for the starting spot in the No. 9 position, with Ferran Torres doing exceedingly well while Robert Lewandowski continues to show he remains a crucial player despite his age.

“At a club like Barça, there are two top-level players in every position. Ferran has done well and scored goals, but so has Robert,” said Flick on the subject.

“They both have a good attitude in training and when they’re on the bench. Lewy scored the second goal in the derby. That’s what I want to see. Everyone has to give their best for the team.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo