It’s official: Hansi Flick will lead Barcelona for the 2024/25 season as the club announced the signing of the 59-year-old German coach on Wednesday, May 29 at midday to replace the out-going Xavi, who delivered the LaLiga title in 2022/23.
Flick arrived in Catalonia last Tuesday to fulfil a dream of coaching Barcelona after he met with Deco and had dinner with the sports leadership headed by Joan Laporta. Early this morning, he went to the Camp Nou offices to sign his new contract, however, the presentation will not take place yet.
The coach has never hidden his admiration for Lionel Messi‘s ex-club and that fondness was decisive to reach an agreement with Barcelona swiftly, with negotiations proving to be very agile.
Laporta also sees one of his aspirations come true. Since his return to the Catalan club in March 2021, he has always been in favor of the German way: Julien Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Flick… and he has finally succeeded by landing the ex-boss of Die Mannschaft.
“Culers, it’s our time. Forca Barca!,” were Flick‘s first words in the hotseat as the managerial sensation has signed to the Nou Camp for two seasons.
How good is Hansi Flick?
Hansi Flick was without a team after being sacked as Germany’s head coach in September 2023, a few months before his contract was due to expire anyway, after a disappointing 4-1 loss to Japan. It came after setbacks in the 2022 FIFA World Cup when they finished third in their group. He left with a 48% winning record.
So maybe international soccer isn’t for him, but his stint at Bayern Munich proved how potent he can be at club level. Whilst at the helm of German’s greatest club, he won 70 of 86 games (81%) and was only beaten seven times, scoring 255 goals.
They also won the UEFA Champions League in 2019/20, a FIFA Club World Cup, a UEFA European Super Cup and two Bundesliga titles, before Tuchel allowed Bayer Leverkusen to break the Bayern Munich hegemony of German soccer.
Flick‘s success with Bayern built upon his impressive stint at 1899 Hoffenheim where he won 88 out of 196 games and guided them to the third division, where he did not manage to get them into the 2. Bundesliga before he became Joachim Low‘s assistant with Germany.