Hansi flick makes Barcelona players sweat in intense first training session

Hansi Flick has got down to business in Barcelona. With players completing their medicals ahead of the new season yesterday, the manager has begun his tenure at the club officially and is now directly overseeing training at the club facilities.

A key change expected under the German tactician in terms of training was the intensity of the routines. As revealed by a recent report from AS, Flick has wasted no time in introducing the anticipated change in Catalonia.

Players undergo intensive training

As revealed by the Spanish outlet, Flick imposed a rigorous double training session on Thursday. Special emphasis was placed on the physical aspect of training, a much-needed change to the squad riddled with injuries last season.

The players trained under the supervision of the new assistant coaches, Pepe Conde and Thiago Alcantara.

Thiago was present in today’s training sessions. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

Conde appears to be the assistant in charge of the physical training as he was directly supervising the intensive workout.

Meanwhile, Thiago is yet to be officially announced as a member of Flick’s staff and is expected to act as an intermediary between players and the manager. His proficiency in German and Spanish coupled with his history at the club make him the ideal candidate.

Player updates

While Flick has officially begun overseeing training, he is still without the services of the various internationals who represented their countries at the Euros and the Copa America.

Additionally, several players continued to train separately through injury including Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Alejandro Balde.

The two midfielders are expected to face an extended period on the sidelines and will miss the pre-season tour in the USA. Balde, meanwhile, is close to returning to group training.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​