Hansi Flick: A Successful German Approach In Spain

Hansi Flick’s career path is unique for a coach, serving as Joachim Löw’s assistant for the German national team (DFB) for eleven years (2006-2017). The team won the 2014 World Cup, with Flick famously orchestrating Mario Götze’s substitution, leading to the decisive goal against Argentina. Two years later, Flick was offered the head coach position at Bayern Munich, Germany’s most successful club.

Treble At Bayern

Bayern Munich surprised the world by winning the Champions League and completing the treble for the second time in the club’s history during the 2019–20 season. Hansi Flick emphasised straightforward tactics that aligned with the club’s culture. 

Flick is known for physical conditioning, a cornerstone of his football philosophy. He advocates a modern style of football, with pressing playing a significant role in transitions. 

Flick prioritised respecting senior players and fostering a harmonious dressing room atmosphere to prevent internal conflicts. However, in 2021, Flick expressed interest in coaching the German national team, leading to an amicable departure from Bayern.

National Team Career

Flick’s tenure with the German national team did not meet expectations; Germany’s 2022 World Cup campaign ended disappointingly. Die Mannschaft failed to progress beyond the group stage, similar to 2018, leading to Flick’s dismissal a year later — the first sacking in DFB history.

Move to Barcelona

Flick remained unemployed during the following year until he was approached by Joan Laporta. Barcelona’s president sought a new direction as Xavi’s tenure hadn’t improved the team’s performance. 

Fans were initially skeptical of his appointment, concerned that cultural differences could potentially create challenges. As of this day, Flick’s Spanish language skills are still developing, a rare situation for a Barcelona coach.

However, after two months under Flick’s management, his appointment has been widely celebrated. Barcelona’s tactical identity is now clearer than it has been since Pep Guardiola’s era. 

Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona are first in La Liga and humiliated Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu (0-4). 

Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets expressed his surprise at the team’s success under Flick: “I didn’t expect everything to go so fast. It’s a different style but very attractive and the players have picked up the idea of the coach very quickly”. 

Flick’s Tactical Approach

Flick has implemented a similar approach to his previous coaching stints. Barcelona presses high, runs a lot, and looks to counter in transitions. Everything is going very fast, which is a new chapter for Barcelona. 

In recent years, Barcelona famously preferred to methodically use their positional advantage to create chances. Flick wants none of that and instead has taught his players to press as high as possible. 

Mastering the Offside Trap

A major detail that explains the team’s success is the role of defenders playing the offside trap. As Pau Cubarsí and Íñigo Martinez join the team in playing high, they need to be careful to implement Flick’s offside trap efficiently. Attackers are led to think there’s plenty of space behind the defensive line, only to be ruled offside a few seconds later. 

This tactic is central to Flick’s approach. Barcelona has seen 100 offside calls in its favour since the beginning of the season, which is unheard of in Spain. About 13 goals have been cancelled after being ruled offside. 

Players like Kylian Mbappé, famous for being fast, are trapped in the offside as they are tempted to run into space. Not only does their attack not succeed, but the mental toll is huge. 

Individual Empowerment and Development

What’s also important to remember is how Flick empowers individuals who become pillars of his project, which was also the case at Bayern. 

This season, Barcelona fans discovered Marc Casadó’s brilliance with the first team. While he had always been blessed with talent, many thought that his lack of athleticism was a problem. Flick brought new recovery techniques to the fitness department, which has seen Barcelona players run more than they ever did. 

Marc Casadó is Flick’s most representative player. He’s skilled in duels that stop the opponent’s attacks while he organises the team in possession. 

It’s rare to see young pivots become unspoken leaders of their teams, but Casadó transmits tranquillity on the ball. It’s important for a team that constantly runs up and down the wings to have someone who can organise the team and dictate the tempo. 

Flick made sure to respect the club’s culture, as he did at Bayern. 

Midfield Progression and New Roles for Key Attackers

Barcelona mostly progress through the midfield as Casadó looks for Pedri, Dani Olmo or Fermín López. It was important for Barcelona to return to the basics, as La Masia (Barca’s youth academy) mostly provides excellent midfielders. 

Flick found a new role for Raphinha, too, as he doesn’t play as a dribbler but as a relentless pressing machine and a goalscorer in the box. He functions in harmony with Lamine Yamal, who’s in charge of dribbling past the opposition and creating chances in the final third. It was already known that the Brazilian is great at running behind his marker, but Xavi Hernández didn’t fully take advantage of it. 

At the same time, Flick also brought Lewandowski back to the penalty box to maximise his efficiency. The result? Lewandowski is the leading goalscorer in La Liga. 

German Influence in La Liga

Flick isn’t only a novelty for Barcelona; he’s also a novelty for La Liga. Spanish teams famously struggle against Germany’s Gegenpressing school of thought, as noticed in European competitions. 

Most of the clubs don’t give much importance to physical development, especially in preventing injuries, and few players build muscle in training routines. This is one of the reasons why Barcelona has been flying in La Liga, as teams cannot keep up with Barcelona’s tempo. It’s unusually high – Flick isn’t playing Spanish football; he’s playing German football in Spain. 

Real Sociedad is the only team to have figured out how to counter Flick’s plans, defeating the Catalans with a narrow 1-0 victory. However, that loss doesn’t diminish the radical change and positive impact Flick has had on Barcelona. 

Barcelona isn’t only successful in La Liga but has also tormented opponents in the Champions League. Flick’s team defeated Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich (4-1), while Crvena Zvezda didn’t find the solution to Flick’s offside trap, losing 2-5 at home. 

Conclusion

Flick’s football is refreshing to see for many fans, as he’s openly imperfect. This brand of football has brought many fans outside of their comfort zone. His style of play is risky and places a heavy load on Barcelona’s defenders. It also demands players to play with intensity at all times. It’s unheard of in the club’s recent history, but it seems to work. 

No matter how risky it is, fans and players have embraced Flick’s methods. As the saying goes, don’t fix what ain’t broke.