Barcelona is always burning with the desire to become champions.

30/12/2025 09:02:00 VictoryVox

Barcelona starts the new year 4 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga, has qualified for the Copa del Rey round of 16, and will compete in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Athletic Bilbao on January 8, 2026.

"The most important thing is the 3 points even though we didn’t play that well. The team is a bit tired, but I’m pleased with the players’ attitude and spirit," summarized coach Hansi Flick on the condition of the Catalan team. This also indicates they will come back to challenge for titles in all competitions Barcelona enters.

The spirit of the champions

Flick often carefully weighs his messages, whether times are good or bad. The locker room is used to his words being commands since the German coach arrived in summer 2024. Most of his remarks are specific, accurate, and effective when the team lacks many prospects.

The players have shown the best possible version of themselves, sometimes surprisingly so, like Casado or even Raphinha, based on a direct, risky style, strong high pressing, and winning games decided by which team scores more goals.

However, currently, results favor Barca ahead of a valuable 7-day break before the Catalan derby against Espanyol (January 3). The La Liga stats are even better than last season (46 points vs. 38 points last December), when they lost 1-2 to Atletico Madrid, who led with 41 points.

Barcelona, having earned only 5 out of 21 points after a terrible November, ultimately came back to win the title at Espanyol’s stadium. Comebacks continue this season after Flick’s plan was questioned again following the Clasico loss to Real Madrid at Bernabeu and falling 5 points behind their rival.

"Trust me, soon you will see a different Barca. We will play our philosophy. We won’t sit deep defending at home to counter and win 1-0," Flick declared. He worries about the players’ low intensity, criticizes ball losses, and is unhappy with the offside trap’s reliability.

Yet simultaneously, he believes the team will come back based on the players’ real playing ability. The squad has been rebuilt with key players returning and an 8-game winning streak.

Barcelona enters 2026 aiming to win every competition they participate in.

Flick’s resourcefulness

Barcelona now resembles Flick’s Barca from last season. People no longer say they leave too many dangerous gaps but that the team is moving in the right direction.

Flick’s management on and off the pitch has been crucial, as he faces adversity without blaming others. With key players often injured and limited backup, the German coach doesn’t assign blame for failures.

In conflicts like between Ter Stegen and Joan Garcia, he doesn’t criticize individuals. He found temporary fixes by replacing Inigo Martinez with Gerard Martin and filling the defensive midfield role with Eric Garcia when Casado’s form dropped. He manages to compete without a left-footed center-back, reliable full-backs, or a fixed striker.

Flick does not brag but simply praises Barca’s spirit. The key is always scoring more goals than the opponent, purely about efficiency, even if their play is less smooth and brilliant because opponents prevent pressing and easy movement, while defending more with a low block and man-marking from midfield.

Flick meets these challenges with solutions, making it hard to know the limits of a team that surprises opponents and reassures fans. The German coach neither promises nor gives up, always realistic and cautious since taking the lead at Villarreal.

Nhat Minh

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