Flick talks Pedri, Gavi, Bernal, Casado, Dro, Champions League ahead of Elche vs Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will be aiming to extend their lead at the top of the La Liga table, at least temporarily, when they take on Elche CF away at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Saturday night.

The 3-2 win over Real Oviedo last weekend allowed Barça to reclaim top spot in the standings, with a narrow one-point lead over Real Madrid.

With the Merengues, under pressure after the Champions League debacle against Benfica, scheduled to play on Sunday afternoon, Barça have an excellent chance to stretch their advantage and put their arch-rivals under pressure.

Flick talks

Ahead of the trip to face Eder Sarabia’s men, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick faced the media in his pre-match press conference, where he was quick to praise their weekend opponents.

“We’re playing against Elche; last year at home, they had more possession. Eder has done a fantastic job. They play very well, they’re very brave. They have an attractive style of play and create a lot of chances; I love watching them play,” Flick said.

Highlighting the importance of the game, he added: “The big moments of the season are here, important moments, and every game is one game closer. We have to be switched on and focused.”

Talking about the team’s aspirations in the UEFA Champions League, where they directly qualified for the Round of 16 after beating FC Copenhagen earlier this week, Flick elaborated:

“Ultimately, we’re Barça, it’s normal to want to win every title. La Liga, Copa del Rey, the Champions League – it’s not easy. We have to work hard and do things better than in the past.

“There’s no room to wait and see how the game unfolds; we have to start strong from the beginning and not wait until the end of matches. Our attitude and mentality are good, and that’s one of our greatest strengths.

“Both the Champions League and the end of La Liga will be difficult to manage and will take a lot of energy, but that’s what we have to do, and that’s what I’ve seen in this team since the start of the season.” 

Every game important from now on insists Flick. (Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images)

On whether it is advantageous to play before their title rivals, Real Madrid, he noted: “It’s always better when you win, but there’s still a long way to go until the end of the season. They have great quality, just like us, but there’s also Villarreal and Atletico.

“It’s a fantastic competition, and I hope we finish in first place; that’s what we want. It’s our goal; I don’t care about the next match. What I hope is that we finish first.” 

On the squad

Flick then gave an insight into Marc Bernal’s situation, explaining why the midfielder’s minutes have been so carefully managed.

“I’m sure he’ll be a key player for the club’s future. He’s doing well, you saw that against Copenhagen, but he’s a young player who’s had a serious injury. Step by step, whether he plays 30 or 40 minutes now doesn’t matter,” said the German.

“He’s happy with his progress, but it’s true he wants to play more, like everyone else, but that’s what we have to do.” 

On being asked to comment on the shock departure of Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernandez to PSG, Flick remarked:

“I’ve changed my mind, I don’t want to say anything anymore. I like Dro a lot, and of course I’m disappointed, but it’s football. He had a great future here, but he’s made another decision, and I have to respect it. That’s football.” 

When asked if he was happy with the squad at his disposal, Flick responded in the affirmative, stating that the likes of Pedri and Gavi could return soon.

“Of course, I’m satisfied with the squad. The injured players will be back: Pedri is halfway through his recovery, Gavi is also training more than before, and we’ll see what happens. Andreas too,” Flick said.

“I have a great team, a lot of quality, but also players from the reserve team and La Masia who have the quality to play one, two, or three games. Tommy is doing a great job, Jofre too.” 

The Barcelona manager also expressed his pleasure over the fact that players like Marc Casado and Bernal have opted to stay at the club and fight for minutes despite having options to leave.

“I think, as I said, Casado is a fantastic professional, and so is Bernal. When you play for Barça and you’re a young player, patience is very important because you’re playing with the best players in the world at the best club. And that’s the most important thing.

“They each wear the colours in their hearts, and it’s beautiful to see. It’s a dream to see Casado or Bernal and think about where they were playing a year or two ago and whether they could have imagined being here today.

“It’s a process; in football, everything can change in an instant. They’re playing for their club and they’re very professional, and I’m very grateful to every player who has that mentality, and they both do. I really love these players.”

Further highlighting what makes Bernal a special talent, Flick remarked: “He’s good with and without the ball, he knows how to find the best spaces and make the best decisions.”

Flick very happy with Bernal’s progress. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

“You saw it against Copenhagen, in the second half, how much he’s improved defensively, physically he’s doing much better, he’s on another level physically and he’s a great professional, and he’s very good to watch,” he added.

On the improvements needed

Regarding the many comeback wins that Barcelona have secured this season, Flick acknowledged the team’s strong mentality, but insisted on making defensive improvements.

“We conceded too many goals, which is why we had comebacks. Our mentality is to always believe in ourselves, but we have to do things better, especially at the start of matches,” he said.

“We must always be ready from the beginning, and that’s what I want to see from the team. It’s always interesting to watch Barça matches, but ultimately, we have great potential to work on, and that’s what we’re going to do.” 

Talking about some of the statistics that Barcelona have posted in the Champions League – such as going on a run of 11 games without a clean sheet, he acknowledged that there is room for improvement.

“I’ve said it before, we have to improve, work on several things, but in the end, we finished the first round in fifth place,” Flick noted.

“When you think about how we started, which wasn’t very good, after the game against Chelsea, they didn’t think we could be in the top 8, and we’re in 5th place. And that’s what I’ve told the team. That I’m happy, but we have to do things better.” 

Regarding the upcoming presidential elections at Barcelona and how they might impact his future, Flick detailed:

“Wow. This is the future. For now, I’m here and happy to work for this club. We’ll see. I can’t answer these questions with 100% certainty.

“As I said before, it’s very important that we have stability at this club, and everything surrounding the team is going very well. We don’t have a lot of money to spend on signings, and everything we’re doing is very good.

“We’re developing players from La Masia, the team atmosphere is great, the fans support us, and there’s a strong connection. It’s all about stability, and I think that’s what’s best for this club in the future.”

Concluding, Flick remarked how it was a dream for the club and the fans to win the Champions League again, saying:

“Everyone wants to win the Champions League because it’s a great competition. With the new format, the last match was incredible.

“Seeing the fans’ excitement was fantastic to watch, and that’s what football is all about – being a part of it and having one of the teams win that trophy is amazing.

“And it’s our responsibility to work towards it, to do better, to improve day by day, to achieve this dream of winning the Champions League. It’s a dream, not only for the fans, but also for us, but we know it’s not easy and we have to work hard for it.” 

Source: Mundo Deportivo