Hansi Flick leads Barcelona back to La Liga title

Barcelona started the preseason and Rafinia was uncertain about her future, Ramin Yamal had just taken the high school exam, retired Voichech Szczesni smoked on Marbella's beach, and coach Hansi Frick inherited a team that had not won the trophy in two of the first three seasons.

On Thursday, they secured the season to end with a domestic triple after defeating their city rival Espanyol 2-0 to win the La Liga title. They have won the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid in both finals and defeating them in two other league games. Their entry into the Champions League semifinal also represents progress, although the elimination against Inter Milan is disappointing. The stories of Rafinia, Ramin Yamal and Szczesni are just part of many minor plots of the event. However, the center of the story is Frick, the German coach who was appointed to replace Xavi Hernandez last summer. No one really knows how successful he will be after a dull period in coaching the German national team. Even sources inside the club told ESPN they were surprised by the success Barca has achieved this season.

According to ESPN BET, in order to put Frick's achievements in context, Barcelona's odds to win the La Liga title at the beginning of the season were their longest in preseason in at least 15 years. They have been so long, partly because the team is too young. With teenagers Yamal and Bauma Kubasi already playing a big role, Frick has been working with the youngest team in La Liga. The average age, driven by veterans Robert Lewandowski and Inigor Martinez, is 24.1 years old, which also makes them the youngest league champions in Spain this century.

Sources who have been following the team this season highlighted several reasons for Barcelona’s transformation under Frick’s leadership: the way players embrace high-line, high-risk, high-reward style of play; improve strength, fitness and injury prevention; huge mentality shifts; excellent personnel management; and personal advancement of a large number of key players.

Personnel management and making players better

Lafinia received a call last summer that changed his fate with Barcelona. Having had enough of it was always replaced, he was considering leaving. Frick called him and told him not to hurry. “Before you make any decisions, come back for the preseason,” that’s a message. "I count on you."

The Brazilian international went on to spend the best season of his career, contributing more than 50 goals in various competitions. In the Champions League alone, he scored 21 goals in 14 appearances (13 goals, 8 assists), breaking Lionel Messi's club record of goal contribution in a single season (19).

Rafinia is one of many players who have made progress with what the sources call Frick's "honest and affectionate" management. In fact, you can prove that almost everyone has made progress in one way or another.

During the European Cup last summer, Frick often sent messages to his players, including Yamal, who was 16 years old and had a high school diploma, wishing them good luck. The players were also impressed by how he handled Vittor Rock withdrew. The Brazilian striker, who signed for €30 million last year, was not popular, but sources said Frick showed “real care” and made sure he talked to him to ensure his future was satisfactory.

Of course, when you win, everything will become easier. Frick has won 11 of his first 12 league games, meaning he hasn't experienced too many tough times at the club.

It was at the beginning of the season that he turned to the younger players. Frick opened the season with 17-year-old youth player Mark Burnard and 21-year-old Mark Cassador as midfielders due to midfielder absences (both long-term injuries to both Garvey and Frankie DeJong). Sources said the two players appreciated the performance of confidence, while other members of the team believed Frick would not only treat them fairly, but would prioritize players in their natural position. In the past, more experienced players might have been asked to play outside of the position. Like Rafinia, Casador was also considering his future before Frick was appointed, saying the former Bayern Munich coach "changed my life."

Frick also adhered to this concept in large-scale competitions. When Alejandro Barde was injured in March, Frick turned to the untested Gerald Martin, the 23-year-old who also played in the Spanish Division C two years ago for the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semifinals.

His commands were consistent. He insisted on punctuality, and he proved that no one could be exempted from following the rules, he was sent off twice for defender Conde being late at a team meeting. Goalkeeper Inaghi Peña also suffered the same fate in January, and this stability cultivated an environment for players who might not be considered starters to play at their best. Ferran Torres has scored 19 goals despite being a substitute striker, Eric Garcia has contributed in multiple positions, and Fermin Lopez has contributed to the bench, scoring his second goal in helping Barcelona win the championship on Thursday.

Of course, it was the starter who pushed Barcelona forward. While sources say it's hard to quantify Flick's role in Yamal's development, a generation of talent and already a contender for the Golden Globes, it's no coincidence that so many players have enjoyed a great season. Lewandowski, 36, spent his best season at Barcelona, ​​scoring 40 goals in various events. Martinez, 33, has been reshaped as Barcelona's defensive leader and has been asked to play a higher position than he did at Real Sociedad or Athletic Club. Valde, Pedri, De Jong...the improved roster is endless.

Healthier, stronger, and braver to take risks

Barcelona's success this year cannot be said in two words: high line. At the press conference, Frick rarely answered questions about the huge gap between the defending four and the goalkeeper. He now gives the answer almost word by word: it's not just defense, it's about the entire team, what matters is the first attacker and how we put pressure on the offensive three zones.

In fact, what Barcelona were able to keep their defensive blocks averaged 68 yards away from the goal (the highest line in La Liga) was their ruthless oppression. This is largely due to the work done by sports director Deco last summer. In addition to appointing Frick, he has also made a comprehensive overhaul of the physical sector, introducing the likes of Antonio Conte's former coach Julio Toss to make the team as healthy as possible.

Tos played an important role in improving Barcelona's strength, fitness and preventing injuries, but these figures also clearly illustrate the impact he had. In LaLiga, no team sprints above 13 mph. Barcelona averaged 550.7 goals per game, up from 487 last season and nearly 100 more than Madrid, the 454 championship rival this season. They also lead the league in terms of quick recovery (within 5 seconds of conceding goals), averaging 15.6 games and 5.5 games in the opponent’s halftime.

As Vallecano coach Inigo Perez said, not only do they have the best players in the world, but they work as hard as any other team. Retrieve the ball from them and you will most likely see Rafinia rushing towards you. The Brazilian has been energetic, but this year he has reached a new level, sprinting 59.2 times per game, up from 38 last season.

If it is not Rafinia, it is Pedri. Frick and Toss have come up with a plan to keep the talented midfielder healthy after several seasons of injury troubles, and they have reaped results. He played only 1,482 minutes in La Liga last season, but has played over 2,700 minutes this season. He leads the top five European leagues in ball recycling, with seven games per game (3.4 last season), thanks to 49.2 sprints (36.1).

"This looks dangerous, but it is not," Frick said of the game style after 12 offsides in his 4-0 victory over the Bernabeu in October. They have had a total of 169 offsides in La Liga, more than 50 more than any other team in the Big Five in Europe.

This can sometimes be a difficult game that costs them, especially in the Champions League against Inter Milan, but more often, it has achieved results. It always provides entertainment. With Rafinia and Yamal on the wing, this means Lewandowski has more touches in the penalty area than he had in the first two seasons at the club, with Barcelona scoring four or more goals in 13 of their 36 league games.

This has led to a bigger change in the club's mindset. Sources said Frick saw a talented team but felt lacking in faith. This is no longer the case. Barcelona has overcome setbacks in the game many times this season, winning or drawing seven times when they were two goals behind.

Frick led the change, but Yamal's role should not be underestimated. He may be only 17 years old, but as Frick put it, “He’s not a kid. He has taken a huge responsibility both on and off the court, including being a DJ in the locker room, who represents the team’s never-saying attitude. You just have to listen to him and you can see the confidence he exudes, and the confidence this year is infectious.

“If you say another team will win, I don’t know why you’re going to play so we can certainly win the triple,” he told ESPN last month. “We’re Barcelona. "After defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in the Cup final, he said: "Although I won, they can't say anything (about his arrogant). When they beat me, they can.

This change was reflected in the 4-3 victory over Krasico last weekend. In the past few years, Barcelona has been too worried about how to stop Real Madrid and not focus on their strengths. They had previously panicked Ronald Araujo as right-back trying to deal with Vinicius Jr. This year, despite Killian Mbappe's presence, they trapped Garcia there and went out to play. No fear.

Correspond to pressure

A year ago, Frick's former Xavi said financial difficulties would hinder Barcelona's chances of competing with the best teams in Europe. While sources are keen to avoid comparing Frick with Xavi, pointing out that the former Barcelona midfielder should also give some praise for the domestic triple this season, the difference in their handling of certain situations cannot be ignored.

While Harvey lamented that the club controls some factors inside and outside, Frick, in general, has remained silent. He never publicly asked the club to invest in the team, and he did not complain when the uncertainty of Danny Ormo and Paul Victor registering due to financial problems threatened the season to derail, and he successfully avoided any traps, referees or any other embarrassing situations set at press conferences related to Madrid.

sources said he was able to do this because he came from outside the Barcelona bubble and had never left his hometown to work before. As a player, as a Barcelona legend, Xavi feels heavy.

This sometimes makes the media crave more. Frick answers only 12 questions per press conference (Harvey answers over 20 questions), but he can read the entire room. Frick said the decision to get Szczesny on the court was one of the most difficult moments of the season, who joined the club after retirement in October when Ter Stegen was injured. Szczesny moved to Marbella after finishing his career at Juventus last season and was enjoying the beach, golf and a more relaxed lifestyle when Barcelona called. By January, he had become the club's top goalkeeper as Frick wanted to reverse the situation of only five points in La Liga with 21 points, which turned out to be the only bad time the team had experienced throughout the season. They have remained unbeaten in La Liga since, and Frick quickly avoided the goalkeeper argument to be a problem, making it clear that Szczesny would be number one. March was also tough as first team doctor Carles Garcia died unexpectedly at the team hotel before the game.

"Carles is here now," Frick said pointing above after Barcelona won the La Liga title. “He will be very proud of our team, what we have seen in the past few months, so we always think about him.” We will not forget him because he is a big part of our team and will always have a place in our hearts.

Sources said Frick's relationship with all staff is as close as he has to the players. He made sure that all of them, even those who don't normally watch the game, showed up at the Spaniard on Thursday. He hopes they are also part of Friday's parade, when Barcelona will travel around the city on a convertible bus. After the game, Frick admitted that the team needed to make progress next season. They can control the game more and manage leads better. However, this kind of analysis can be temporarily waited.

"It's time to celebrate," he said. "Next season? I won't do that now. We have a long vacation. We'll analyze everything afterwards. How will this league champion, the 28th in Barcelona's history, be remembered? Will the coach take office like Frick's league, take the post when expectations fell to the bottom and reversed the 7-point disadvantage in January to win the championship with two games left? Or will the junior phenomenon as Yamal's league, which could mark the beginning of another generation of dominance in the club? Or Rafinia or Pedri? "The league in Barcelona," Frick said. "It's not about one person. ”