Hansi Flick: A new dawn for Barcelona management

• He is Barcelona’s new manager following the sacking of Xavi Hernandez
• He was appointed on a two-year contract deal
• He has a successful managerial career especially leading Bayern Munich to six trophies in one year

Hansi Flick is the new manager for Barcelona, replacing Xavi Hernandez after his second sacking from the club. He was appointed on a two-year deal and Xavi will be leaving the club at the end of this season.

He has vast knowledge in managerial with several achievements, especially at Bayern Munich where he managed the club for two seasons and led them to victory in six major competitions that they competed in in 2020.

In the same year, he secured the Bundesliga title for Bayern Munich and also conquered the German Cup in that year. In the following year, he successfully guided the German national team through the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers.

His success as a manager has been attributed to his coaching style which involves adapting to his strategies to face different opponents encouraging a dominant and attacking style of play, getting the best out of his players and fostering a winning mentality. 

He is among the best and most successful football coaches and his appointment at Barcelona comes with hope that he will be able to replicate the success at Bayern Munich.

Flick as a professional footballer

While Flick has a successful managerial career, he began as a professional footballer which gave him the foundation for his current role. He played as a defensive midfielder and his most successful stint was with Bayern Munich where he played for five years.

Hansi Flick. Photo/Sky Sports

During his Bayern Munich playing years, he made 104 appearances and won four Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal. However, his career was hampered by injuries and he retired in 1993.

Flick transitioning into coaching

After his retirement, he took on assistant coaching roles at lower-league clubs eventually landing an opportunity at Bayer Leverkusen under coach Christophe Daum who influenced him into a head coach.

The assistant coach role exposure at Leverkusen earned him an opportunity with the German national team alongside another successful manager and this proved important for his development.

He then landed at Bayern Munich and spent eight years as an assistant manager under various coaches and during this season, he absorbed valuable knowledge about player management, team building and navigating the pressure of a top club.

In 2019, he was appointed Bayern Munich’s head coach, and this was a period of unprecedented success. At first, he was an assistant coach under Niko Kovak and following the underwhelming performances under Kovac, he was appointed the interim manager.

Taking over the helm, he had an immediate impact propelling Bayern Munich to a historic winning streak in 2020.

In that year, he led the team to a sextuple, winning all six major trophies including:

• Bundesliga title
• DFB-Pokal
• Champions League
• DFL-Supercup
• UEFA Super Cup
• FIFA Club World Cup

Even after the six major trophies, his success continued securing two additional Bundesliga titles for two consecutive years, which was one of his most successful managerial stints. Despite the achievements, he decided to leave the club for the German national team in 2021.

Flicks managerial appointment at Barcelona

Following his successful stint as Bayern Munich’s manager, Barcelona recently appointed Flick as their new manager on a two-year deal. His unparalleled success at the club especially the 2020 sextuple speaks volumes about his ability and Barcelona is yearning to get that replicated in their club.

Hansi Flick. Photo/Eurosport

His preferred style of play basically emphasizes on attacking, possession-based football aligns perfectly with Barcelona’s style. This gives hope that he will lead Barcelona to success during his tenure.

With Barcelona’s history of nurturing young talents and Flick as well, there is guaranteed success with his experience in developing their mentality and tactics into a winning squad in future.

However, he could also face challenges in La Liga as compared to Bundesliga and he needs to be prepared on how to face them and restore Barcelona’s legacy.