BARCELONA, 16 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of FC Barcelona, Hansi Flick, celebrated his team’s victory against Real Betis (5-1) in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, in a “great performance” that allowed his team to move forward in the competition and provide the fans with a “very nice” duel with which to continue the success in the Spanish Super Cup.
“What was the result? For us it was important, after the great victory against Real Madrid in the Super Cup, to see the whole team together and it is good to see how we played today, with a great performance from the beginning. We controlled the match and it is very nice and good to see how we did it,” he said at a press conference.
With this new ‘little hand’, after the 5-2 against Real Madrid, Flick believes that the team is in a good moment. “I’m very happy with the situation. I hope the fans are too, I could also feel it today. I was surprised when I saw the lights on the phones, it was an incredible atmosphere, so I really enjoyed it, it was great,” he said.
Asked about several of his players, Dani Olmo assured that he is capable of playing as a ‘9’ and highlighted his mobility between the lines. “Lewandowski was not an option because we wanted to give him a rest. We wanted to have one more in the center of the field to control the ball, the distance between players was perfect and it was good to see Olmo like this,” he highlighted.
De Gavi highlighted that he likes that he always presses. “He is the guy who started with the pressure, also with Raphinha, and this is good. And he is everywhere, so he also helps in defense, and wins important games. He is very important for us in defense, but also on the offensive side,” he celebrated.
“Gavi is very emotional, so I will say yes (that Lamine is the best after Messi, according to the midfielder). In big games you see his great talent, he has shown it many times. He is playing very well, he is on the right path , but we have to take care of him, because he is a very young player,” he commented on the Spanish international winger.
But he not only flattered Gavi or the man from Rocafonda, he also did it with Pedri. “It’s incredible because of how he understands football and how he plays with the rest. It’s very good to see him, and for me, I think Pedri is one of the players with a good performance in every game. If you see the data, he plays a lot and also does fantastic things with the ball. It is also very important that he improves as a leader,” he said.
And he celebrated the game of Ronald Araujo who seems to continue at Can Barça, despite the rumors of his departure. “I think he has one more year on his contract and I have never had any doubts. I am happy that he is here, we will see what the future holds but for now, today he played very well. I am happy that he is back, as well as the team, he is someone that gives us something special,” he acknowledged.
Finally, he once again commented on the absence from the squad, for the third game in a row, of Ansu Fat. “We have to rule out more players and I decide based on what I see in the team. It’s not easy for Ansu, he started the preseason very well but he got injured, then he came back and got injured again and it’s not easy. He has to train and show us that “He is a very good player. He is doing better and better, this is the situation,” he said.
As for LaLiga, he stressed that it continues to be “a great objective” despite the bad streak that is getting longer and longer. “We are trying. As I said, we always try to go to each game step by step, and of course, the next one is Saturday and we want to play, be ready and also win, of course,” he concluded.