Flick talks Lamine, Gavi, Lewandowski, Rashford, Kounde, Balde, renewal ahead of Alaves vs Barcelona | OneFootball

Newly-crowned La Liga champions FC Barcelona will be back in action on Wednesday night as they take on Deportivo Alaves away at the Mendizorrotza Stadium.

The Catalans were officially crowned the winners of the league last Sunday after they beat arch-rivals Real Madrid 2-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou to open up an unassailable 14-point lead at the top.

Having clinched the title, the Blaugrana will now be gunning for other records, including reaching the 100-point mark in La Liga, in the remaining three games.

Ahead of the trip to Vitoria, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick addressed the media in his pre-match press conference, discussing various topics, including team selection for the final few matches now that the title was secured.

“The goal now is to reach 100 points, and to do that we have to win the three remaining matches and play well,” said Flick, kicking things off.

All but confirming his renewal with Barcelona, the German tactician stated: “Has this been announced? I’m sorry, but I’ve had a lot on my mind. I’m very grateful to the club for the opportunity to coach until 2028. The club has the right to terminate it, and so do I.

“We’ll discuss that optional year later. In recent days, it’s become clear to me that I’m in the right place. Now it’s time to keep winning and try again to win the Champions League. I’m very grateful to the club for their confidence.”

With Joan Garcia on the cusp of winning the Zamora Trophy, Flick was asked if he would stick with the Spaniard in goal or give Wojciech Szczesny some chances. In response, he said:

“We haven’t talked about that, only about the team, which is what’s important.”

Both Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski are staring at uncertain futures beyond this season. On being asked if he would like to retain them, Flick said:

“I value them a lot, I’m very grateful to them, but we have to analyse everything, and we’ll see at the end of the season.”

When asked about the difference in the dressing room atmosphere and the ego clashes between themselves and Real Madrid, he remarked:

“I don’t think about Real Madrid for a single moment; every coach has their own priorities within their team.”

Regarding his decision to bench Jules Kounde for Sunday’s El Clasico and how the player took it, Flick explained:

“Kounde gives his all for the team. I don’t know if he was happy, but he accepted it. We’re a team. It’s too early to know what will happen next season.”

100 points on Flick and Barcelona’s mind. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

On whether La Masia goalkeeper Diego Kochen will get a chance to make his debut, Flick stated:

“He won’t get any playing time. If we make any changes, Tek [Szczesny] will be the first to go. Joan is number 1, and Tek is number 2. I have a lot of respect for Kochen.”

Regarding the possibility of playing an entire XI of players from La Masia, he noted: “The important thing is the combination of La Masia with top world-class players, that’s what we have here.”

On the plans for the summer window, he said: “We’ve spoken with Deco, we’re clear on that, but it’s not ready yet.”

Flick also discussed the position of Alejandro Balde, who has fallen behind Joao Cancelo in the pecking order in recent months, saying:

“He’s improved a lot, he’s taken a step forward, but I’ve told him he still needs to take another step and we’re helping him. That’s what I ask of him, to improve day by day. He’s a great player.”

Discussing in detail about Lamine Yamal and his decision to wave the Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s title parade on Monday, Flick elaborated:

“I don’t usually like that much. I spoke with him. We have to take into account what people expect from us, but he’s of legal age, he’s 18, it’s his decision… And it was very moving to see tears in people’s eyes during the celebration.

The first thing we have to do is make people happy. And I’m proud of that, and I’ve told the players that because it’s been a difficult season due to injuries. There have been key players who haven’t been available at times, like Lamine, Pedri, Raphinha, Frenkie…

“And it’s incredible the season we’ve had and how we’ve improved in the last two months in attack and defence. We’ve conceded the fewest goals, and nobody expected that.”

Concluding, he highlighted the leaders in the Barcelona dressing room apart from the captains, saying:

“We have different kinds of leaders. There’s Gavi, who, since returning to training, has raised the level of our sessions; he’s the heart of the team. There’s Pedri, a leader with the ball. Eric is too. And the captains, like Frenkie, Ronald, Raphinha…

“We have different types of leaders. It’s about communication, about talking to each other to help each other on the pitch. The most important thing is communication between the players on the field. I have to take responsibility for that.

“If communication is good, everything will be easier for everyone. It’s crucial. If you want to reach the highest level, communication is fundamental. We have to improve, and we will.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo