“Saying ‘we are happy to be first’ is not the right attitude”

The coach of FC Barcelona, ​​Hansi Flick, assured this Friday that it is not the “correct attitude” to be happy about being leaders of LaLiga EA Sports, since they have a “long road” ahead, having to focus on “working and improving” and thinking only of themselves, and not of Real Madrid, who did not want to talk about their situation and that of their coach Xabi Alonso.

“There are many things we can improve, and that’s what we want to work on. It’s not about looking at the standings and saying ‘we’re happy to be first’, I think that’s not the right attitude. There’s a long way to go, and if at the end of the season you’re in that position, then you’ve deserved it,” explained the German coach in the press conference prior to this Saturday’s duel (6:30 p.m.) against CA Osasuna.

Regarding the Navarrese team, he has stated that it is a “defensively solid team” and that they will have to show their best level, especially at the beginning of the game, to avoid conceding the first goal again as usual. “This is LaLiga, every game is difficult when you are not playing at one hundred percent of your level,” he explained.

“This is what we want to show tomorrow. We prepare well, it doesn’t matter if it is Atlético de Madrid, Athletic or Osasuna. We focus on this: preparing the players, preparing everyone. It is very important for us to get these three points. It is very important for us,” he highlighted regarding the relevance of this Saturday’s match.

The German coach did not want to reveal who will be the starting center forward, highlighting that the competition between Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres is “perfect” for everyone. “In each position we have two or three players who can play there, and I think this also increases and improves each player,” he said.

“It’s good for the team, it’s good for them, because they always have to play at the highest level, and what I’ve seen in the last four or five weeks is incredible. Everyone is at the level at which I want to see them, and this is really good. Now we also have this quality in training in the last days or weeks, totally different from two months ago. I value it a lot,” he revealed.

The German coach has been full of praise for Eric Garcia, who in recent games has played at a “high level” in the double pivot due to the loss of Frenkie de Jong. “We decided that he would play as a six and he did really well, he played at a high level. So it’s good to see him. When you have a player like him, you can use him in different positions, and that’s very good,” he explained about the Catalan player.

“Frenkie was sick the last two games, and for that reason, and because he has to improve, it is normal after the days he has spent. For me this does not matter, the important thing is that we put the best eleven on the field, those who help us win the game,” he declared about the Dutchman’s substitution.

He also praised Marcus Rashford, who he said is at his “best level” after overcoming the adaptation process to the Blaugrana club. “He is an absolute professional. His attitude, his mentality, are excellent. I think at first he had to adapt a little, but now he is at his best level. You can see it in his mentality, he is here and I am very happy that he is here,” he said.

Finally, regarding the current situation of Real Madrid, with the emergence of many doubts regarding the figure of Xabi Alonso, Flick has stated that he focuses “one hundred percent” on his team. “We don’t focus on Real Madrid, we only focus on ourselves. We have a lot to do with this situation, so I am one hundred percent focused only on Barça,” he concluded.