Hansi Flick talks Lewandowski, Christensen, Frenkie, Rashford ahead of Barcelona vs Real Betis | OneFootball

FC Barcelona now have only two games left till their 2025-26 campaign officially comes to a close. The first of these league games is set to be played against Real Betis at the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday.

Ahead of this match, Hansi Flick undertook his customary press conference, in which he discussed several aspects of his team and the game ahead. As Mundo Deportivo has noted, one of the highlights of the presser was the German coach’s comments on Robert Lewandowski, who had announced his departure from the Blaugrana club a few moments earlier.

Despite there not a lot to play for, the German coach made it clear that his team would be fighting for a win tomorrow:

“You always need objectives; winning every home match is what we want. It would be perfect. We are playing against a great team, very consistent in recent years, with top-quality players. It won’t be easy — it wasn’t last season — and we want to win.”

The Barcelona trainer spoke highly of Robert Lewandowski, who would be playing his last home game for the Blaugrana side against Betis:

“We had a conversation. We spoke about it. Robert has said goodbye to the team. It has been a great period for him in Barcelona; he has been very professional. I worked four years with Robert, we won nine titles, and it has been a privilege. He is an example to follow — that is why he plays at that level. He always gives his best to stay at the highest level. He is a great player and a great person, a role model for the young players in the squad.”

Flick also confirmed that the Pole would start tomorrow:

“Lewandowski will start against Betis tomorrow at the Estadi. He deserves it. I don’t know what will happen next season. I don’t know who will come. We are active in the market and we have time.”

While hinting at several changes in the team for the Betis game, the German coach also provided an update on Frenkie de Jong and Marcus Rashford:

The Blaugrana tactician was clear that replacing Lewandowski would be very hard:

“It will not be easy to find someone on the market with Robert’s level — a player capable of scoring between twenty-five and thirty goals. I’ve said it many times. We are going to miss him; that’s life. We have to renew the attack. We will miss him. He has been a great role model for the younger players; seeing him work so hard, and in difficult moments he has always been there.”

Beyond the Pole, Flick was not expecting any more departures:

“I don’t think there will be more farewells, but in football everything is possible. Christensen? The plan is to give him minutes tomorrow. We wanted him to play against Alavés, but we changed our minds. This time I do think it will be possible to give him playing time.”

The German was clear about his priorities for the next season:

The Barcelona coach also opened up on how he treats the dressing room:

“I treat the players with respect and expect the same from them. We want to win and play good football, to make people happy. The best thing is to be honest, even when it is a decision that not everyone will like, but what matters is the team. Sometimes I have to take a step back. But the key is that decisions are not made for one or two players, but for the team.”

Wojciech Szczesny started in the Barcelona goal for the last game, but Flick clarified that it did not indicate anything deeper than resting Joan Garcia:

“It has nothing to do with the Zamora Trophy. We have to manage Joan’s minutes. Szczesny deserved to play. Joan will play.”

The German coach once again reiterated his objective for the next season:

“We have to play our best football, and we didn’t manage that in the Champions League. We have to be better than the others. That is the main objective.”

It is good to see Hansi Flick already having a clear idea of what he wants with his team for the next season. Hopefully, he would be able to bring the UCL trophy home with Barcelona next year, and would get the needed reinforcement in the summer.