Having already taken charge of a number of training sessions, Barcelona finally unveiled Hansi Flick as the new club manager.
The former Bayern Munich and Germany boss took over from Xavi Hernandez who was sacked despite there being a press conference confirming his stay ahead of next season.
With the team floundering and some less than choice words from Xavi, Barcelona president Joan Laporta fired him and opted for Flick who had Barcelona as his priority.
"I could feel it from first second, this is an unbelievable club," Flick said. "It is an amazing club, very big, bigger than I imagined.
"For me, it's one of the biggest clubs, maybe the biggest club. To win titles, you can only really win with the biggest clubs, which is why I am here.
While Barcelona have been linked with the likes of Nico Williams and Dani Olmo, the fact that the Catalan side have yet to go back to the 1:1 rule and given their precarious financial situation, along with players missing due to international duty, Flick has had to make do with a number of academy players.
"I am really thankful for the work done at La Masia. We have some marvelous young players who want to give everything for the club. I want to create the ideal atmosphere for these youngsters to develop. They have a lot of quality," Flick said.
One of the knocks of Xavi's tenure was the team's stamina. Barcelona were good for about an hour and then tiredness among the players was evident. Especially in concentration when defending. Some attributed it to lax training, something Flick looks to fix.
"In training we will work really hard. We have to give 100% in those sessions to take it out on to the pitch." That intensity has been seen in the recent training sessions as the squad prepare for the tour of the US," Flick said.
Flick was unsurprisingly complementary of Lamine Yamal but at the same time tried to play it down as Yamal is only 17 and has room for improvement despite how well he's already doing.
❗️Hansi Flick: “I’ve seen what Lamine Yamal has done in the Euros and he is incredible, but he still has to continue developing. It is important that you have your feet on the ground” #FCB 🤝💫 pic.twitter.com/WvY7nU1QD1
— Reshad Rahman (@ReshadFCB) July 25, 2024
There is an excitement with Flick from the supporters as he has a successful track record with Germany and experience in managing in important competitions. The US tour is going to be an interesting one with a number of young players trying to impress.
Flick didn't promise any trophies rather his aim is to play well and have that intensity throughout. In Barcelona, winning isn't enough. You also have to play well in the process.