Four difficulties Hansi Flick has already overcome at Barcelona

Few could have predicted the strong start to Barcelona’s season, given the turbulence surrounding the club.

The environment has been anything but ideal for newly-appointed manager Hansi Flick, who has faced immense pressure to deliver results despite numerous challenges.

Beyond the promise of young talents in the academy, Flick has had little to work with, making the team’s perfect start all the more impressive.

After securing victories against Valencia away, Athletic Club at Montjuic, and most recently, Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona now boast a perfect nine points from three games.

Flick’s ability to quickly get the team back on track is commendable. However, the true value of his achievement becomes clear when considering the many obstacles he has had to overcome.

Dani Olmo’s registration

Firstly, Flick found himself in a situation where his marquee summer signing, Dani Olmo, was unavailable for selection because the club lacked the financial margin to register him.

This registration struggle meant that the €55 million signing was unavailable for the first two games, but Flick managed to navigate past it.

Injuries aplenty

The second major hurdle has been the injury crisis. Barcelona are currently without key players like Gavi, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, and Ansu Fati, leaving Flick with limited options for selection.

However, he has found ways to deal with it and ensure that it does not become an excuse.

Tight schedule

The third challenge has been the demanding schedule. Barcelona’s opening fixtures included three strong opponents – Valencia, Athletic Club, and Rayo Vallecano – making their winning start even more remarkable, with only three days gap between the latter two games.

It must be noted that Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic are a tricky team to beat while until yesterday, Barcelona had not won on their last three visits to Vallecano, with Flick changing that.

Integration of youth

Finally, the German has had to integrate three 17-year-olds – Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Marc Bernal, into the first team without compromising the team’s stability, a delicate balancing act that requires both skill and patience.

All three have made impressive starts to the season, although Bernal’s campaign could now be over after the ACL injury he sustained last night.

Barcelona’s strong start to the 2024-25 campaign, despite these challenges, is a testament to the talent within the squad and the managerial prowess of Hansi Flick.

The season ahead could hold special things for the Catalans if they continue in this vein.