Laporta Praises Flick... Is It a Jab at Xavi?
The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, stated that the team "has started the season well" and that their new coach, Hansi Flick, "doesn't make excuses."
"Flick is an extraordinary and very professional coach. He knew what was in the squad, and he's managing it very well," Laporta commented during his visit to the Open Day at the Cruyff Foundation, of which he is a patron, held at the Municipal Sports Complex La Mar Bella in Barcelona.
Barça is leading LaLiga with 21 points in eight matches, three more than Real Madrid and four more than Atlético de Madrid. In the Champions League, they started with a tough defeat against Monaco (2-1), followed by a convincing victory over the Swiss team Young Boys this Tuesday (5-0).
"We played a good match against Young Boys, scoring five goals. Now we have to focus on the game against Alavés. A victory before the international break is very important," analyzed Laporta.
This summer, Barça bolstered their squad with attacking midfielder Dani Olmo and forward Pau Víctor, in addition to promoting reserve players like midfielder Marc Casadó to the first team.
"This year there are many matches, and the schedule forces us to have competitive and deep squads. The inclusion of youth academy players is yielding very good results because they are understanding what Flick asks of them," stated the president of the Catalan club.
In this regard, Laporta highlighted that the choice of the German coach is partly due to his trust in the youth academy: "With the rest of the board, we agreed that the new coach should give a new impulse, and Flick knows that during the club’s great eras, there have been players from the squad," he explained.
During the Open Day event at the Cruyff Foundation, where more than 900 children, with and without disabilities, enjoyed various sports disciplines adapted to their abilities, Laporta greeted, conversed, and took photos with the young participants.
Others attending the event included Danny Cruyff, widow of Johan Cruyff; their children Susila Cruyff and Jordi Cruyff; and communication entrepreneur Jaume Roures, a patron of the foundation.
