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

After a 2-0 victory over RCD Espanyol in their first game of 2026, FC Barcelona will play their next match in Saudi Arabia. They are set to face Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.

In fact, the Catalan team has already travelled to the Middle Eastern kingdom for the competition. Hansi Flick held his press conference yesterday ahead of this game today, and as Mundo Deportivo has reported, talked about different aspects of his team and the upcoming game.

The main highlights from the German coach’s presser are as follows:

Hansi Flick made it clear that he likes this competition and its format:

The German coach also hinted at the potential arrival of Joao Cancelo and highlighted how this would help his team:

“I spoke with my staff, and we think that when Ronald returns, we’ll have good central defense options. João can play both full-back positions. It’s not finalized, but I’d be happy if it’s completed. We discussed signing a central defender, and this is a good option for the next six months.”

Cancelo’s signing would be a low-cost option for Barcelona, but this was not something that bothered the coach too much:

“We’ve had situations in the last 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 growing, and we trust them. Now we have the opportunity to bring in an experienced player. I’d appreciate it if it happens.”

Flick also expressed his desire for improvements in defense:

“We are playing against Spain’s best teams. Athletic has many attacking options, and it won’t be easy. If we make the errors we made in the derby, it won’t be easy. We’ll see tomorrow. We have to defend much better. Sometimes I miss that.”

The German coach was clear that the Super Cup is not going to be an easy competition to win:

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

The Barcelona coach was also quite clear on who would start in goal:

“It will be Joan Garcia.”

When asked about the fast players that Athletic Club have, Flick was confident his team can handle them:

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

The German coach was not clear on whether Ronald Araujo is ready to return to the pitch yet:

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

The Blaugrana coach was rather straightforward when asked if any player had asked to leave in the January window:

“No.”

Flick recounted the several options he has for midfield:

“Eric has shown he can play in many positions. Frenkie has done well as a ‘6’. Pedri was injured, and we had to adapt. The most important, as we saw in the derby, is who plays as the ‘10’. With Fermín, it went very well. That’s what we need in that position. Frenkie and Pedri can maintain possession and defend well. We have options. Eric can play other positions, too.”

The German tactician was asked about the competition for the centre-forward position, but he did not name any clear favorite:

“At a club like Barça, each position has two high-level players. Ferran has done well and scored, but so has Robert. They have good attitude in training and when 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.”

The Barcelona coach seemed to be driven to win the Super Cup once again after having won it last year:

“I told the team that it’s two matches to win the title. That’s motivation enough. At Barça, you want to win titles. That’s what the club and fans want. We are here to succeed.”

Flick was also happy with how the club had handled Ronald Araujo’s situation:

“These things happen. We must take care of all players. Players face pressure, and we are human. We make mistakes, and we must be there to support them. I appreciate what the club did in this situation. Ronald is very important to us, one of the captains. I hope he returns to his best level.”

Hopefully, the Uruguayan would return to his best level soon, and Hansi Flick would undoubtedly help him regain his confidence and get back to being the top defender he is. But for now, the Barcelona coach would be occupied mainly with winning the Spanish Super Cup.