Hansi Flick Joins Barcelona as New Manager on Two-Year Deal

Barcelona has named former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick their new manager on a two-year contract.

Flick Replaces Xavi

Flick, Germany dismissed in September 2023, succeeds Xavi, who was sacked last week. Flick’s tenure with Germany followed his successful period at Bayern Munich, where he led the team to a treble in 2020, winning the Bundesliga, German Cup, and Champions League.

Lewandowski Reunites with Flick

Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski, 35, played under Flick at Bayern Munich for two seasons. Flick said about his new role, “It’s a big honour, a dream for me to sign my contract here. We won some titles with Bayern Munich and my hunger is really big for titles.”

Flick’s Vision for Barcelona

“I would like to stay on this path with Barcelona and I think we can achieve a lot together and this is an important thing. The philosophy they have is similar to mine, lots of possession and really attacking football and these other things I love,” Flick added.

Xavi’s Departure

Departing Barcelona boss Xavi, sacked a month after the club initially confirmed he would stay, warned his successor will “suffer” in the role. Xavi led Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup triumphs in his first entire season, but this season, the Catalan giants finished 10 points behind La Liga champions Real Madrid.

Barcelona’s Statement on Flick

In a statement on Wednesday, Barcelona said it had “chosen a man well known for his teams’ high pressing, intense and daring style of play which has brought him great success at club level and international level, winning pretty much all there is to win in the world of football.”

Flick’s Recent History and Health

Flick has been out of work since his dismissal from Germany eight months ago. He returns as a changed man, with a hip replacement leaving him pain-free after years of discomfort and lack of sleep.

Renewed Connections

His renewed fitness has allowed him to reconnect with old friends, including Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, former colleague Danny Rohl, who has improved Sheffield Wednesday, and Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton.

Flick’s Coaching Philosophy

While Guardiola and De Zerbi emphasize possession and control of the game, Flick’s approach balances direct play with possession. Despite the increasing reliance on data in modern football, Flick trusts his instincts, a quality that shone through when Bayern Munich won the Champions League in 2020.

Adapting to Spain

Settling in Spain should be easy for Flick, who has enjoyed holidaying on the small Spanish island of Formentera for the past 15 years. Although he is not fluent in Spanish, he is confident he will quickly master the language.