How Barcelona remained a tight-knit group through adversity and election noise – report | OneFootball

Barcelona may have earned a lot of plaudits for their performance on the pitch under Hansi Flick and their ability to win titles.

However, perhaps the most striking feature of this Barcelona team has been the internal unity in the dressing room and the lack of any major controversy.

Over the past few months, for example, the club have been engulfed in election noise, which came to an end this Sunday with Joan Laporta getting re-elected. Yet Hansi Flick’s squad has emerged as a more unified force than ever.

Despite the external chaos, the dressing room has managed to remain coherent and hasn’t shown any signs of falling apart.

How Hansi Flick has protected his team

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Flick has played a parental role in shielding his players from the surrounding media circus.

A prime example was his decision to fly the team directly to England after the San Mames fixture to avoid the distractions of the first presidential debates in Barcelona.

Flick has played a key role in protecting the squad. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

However, the external noise became impossible to ignore when a video of Victor Font went viral, in which the candidate questioned the physique of Dani Olmo and criticised the signings of Joao Cancelo and Raphinha.

The targeted players, who are vital figures within the group, felt singled out and misused, leading the entire squad to close ranks.

This “us against the world” mentality was further fueled by jabs directed at Alejandro Echevarria, a beloved figure among both the staff and the players.

The relationship between the squad and the hierarchy has been fundamental to this stability. If Flick is the disciplinary father figure, Joan Laporta has acted as the grandfather who pampers and protects the players’ families.

This deep-rooted bond was immortalised by the image of Dani Olmo and his teammates jumping and celebrating with Laporta at the voting tents.