Flick talks de Jong, Szczesny, Pena, Lookman, transfer market ahead of Barcelona vs Atalanta | OneFootball

Ahead of Barcelona’s crucial home match against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League, manager Hansi Flick faced the media to discuss a range of topics, including his thoughts on the upcoming game, his team’s objectives, and the current state of his squad.

Flick expects an exciting game, acknowledging the attacking prowess of both teams. Barcelona and Atalanta have scored the most goals in the competition, and Flick respects the Italian side’s style.

He praised their manager, noting the unique ideas he brings to the team. Atalanta’s high-scoring playstyle will certainly make for an entertaining match.

“It will be a fun game, I have the utmost respect for the Atalanta coach. It’s incredible all the ideas he brings to the team, his style is unique in Europe.

“They play very well and score a lot of goals, yes. We have to be careful with them in tomorrow’s game,” began Flick.

However, Barcelona’s coach knows they must approach the game with caution.

Atalanta’s quick transitions and possession play will put pressure on Barcelona, and Flick emphasized that his side must be prepared for what will undoubtedly be a tough challenge.

“It is always difficult to play against Italian teams because they defend very well. Atalanta is no exception. It is difficult to play against them because they put you under pressure.

“They have a lot of possession and the transitions are very quick. We have to be ready for the match. I hope we have made the right decisions when preparing for tomorrow’s game.”

Goal for the season

Hansi Flick wants to win every title with Barcelona. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

When asked whether the Champions League felt like a clearer objective than La Liga, Flick made it clear that winning La Liga remains his top priority.

While Barcelona have aspirations in all competitions, including the Champions League, the Super Cup, and Copa del Rey, La Liga is always the most important for him.

“For me, LaLiga is the most important thing we can win, we can aspire to it throughout the season. We’ll see what happens. Obviously, we also want other competitions like the Super Cup, the Copa del Rey or the Champions League.

“The competition is long and demanding, and his team aims to challenge for the title all season. However, he did acknowledge the difficulty of winning the Champions League, especially with many top teams competing.”

For now, Barcelona’s goal in the Champions League is to finish the group stage in the best possible position.

“The Champions League is the most difficult to win because there are many teams that are doing very well. Tomorrow we want to win because we want to finish in the best possible position in this first phase.”

Frenkie de Jong’s extension

Hansi Flick is happy with Frenkie de Jong. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

On the subject of Frenkie de Jong, Flick expressed his satisfaction with the midfielder’s recent performances, commending his strong play in recent games.

He expects the same level of commitment and quality from De Jong moving forward.

“I am very happy with him, he has played very well in the last few games and that is what I expect from him.”

Szczesny vs Pena

When questioned about the decision to start Wojciech Szczesny over Inaki Pena, Flick made it clear that both goalkeepers are highly talented, but after consulting with his coaching staff, they decided to go with Szczesny.

Flick settled the Pena vs Szczesny debate. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“I know that when I say something good about Szczesny it seems like I’m saying that Inaki is weaker, but I don’t like that because my job is to make a decision.

“They are both very good goalkeepers, so I decided with my staff to go for Szczesny.”

The decision was not easy, especially given Pena’s solid performances in previous matches, but Flick emphasized that choosing the starting goalkeeper is always a delicate decision, particularly given the unique nature of the position.

“They are both very good, Inaki did a great job in the past as well, but I decided that way. It’s always a difficult decision. The goalkeeper position is very special. It’s one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make.”

Szczesny’s experience with Atalanta could also play a role in the decision. Flick confirmed that they had discussed Atalanta ahead of the match, but refrained from divulging any specific details, keeping their strategy under wraps.

“Obviously we have talked about it but it would not be good to say it because it is a secret.”

Transfer market

Hansi Flick is happy with the squad he has. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Regarding the transfer market, Flick reiterated his contentment with the current squad.

He is pleased with the team’s performance and the overall atmosphere within the group, stating that Barcelona has the potential to achieve great things with the players they have.

Although the club faces challenges in the transfer market, he remains focused on the players available to him.

“You know better than I do that it’s not easy for the club. I’ve always said that I’m happy with my players, with the team we have, with the atmosphere. We can achieve a lot of success.”

Lookman’s absence

Finally, when asked about Atalanta’s absence of forward Ademola Lookman, Flick acknowledged that losing a key player could impact the team.

However, he remained confident in Atalanta’s manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, who is well-versed in his team’s style. Flick believes Gasperini will not drastically alter his tactics, even without Lookman, as the Italian side has well-drilled systems in place.

“Obviously, when you’re missing such an important player it affects you. But Gasperini knows his team very well and I don’t think he’ll change his style that much.

“He has very well-trained automatisms and I don’t think he’ll change his plan that much,” he concluded.

Source: AS