Hansi Flick discussed his high-press philosophy following Barcelona’s victory over Bayern Munich, emphasizing its success. However, the match was overshadowed by an incident where Barcelona fans allegedly threw stones at the Bayern team bus, leading to damage. The club promptly reported the attack to UEFA, prompting an investigation into the matter.
Hansi Flick Discusses High-Press Philosophy at Barcelona
Less than two days have passed since FC Barcelona’s impressive victory over Bayern Munich, and they’re already focusing on their next challenge – El Clasico. The upcoming match against Real Madrid promises to be tough.
Barcelona had many positives from their game against Bayern Munich. Raphinha, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Marc Casado, and Jules Kounde all delivered outstanding performances and played crucial roles in Hansi Flick’s strategy for the match.
The most talked-about aspect since the game has been Barcelona’s effective high-line defense against Bayern. The Catalan side frequently used the halfway line as a reference, consistently trapping Bayern offside.
Ahead of the Clasico, it’s no surprise that Flick was asked about the team’s dedication to the high-press philosophy. Here’s what the German coach shared, as reported by Mundo Deportivo:
“We have many coaches who are paying attention to this, but it is our philosophy to press as much as possible with and without the ball. We need to get closer to being a compact unit and not leave spaces between lines.”
“What we’ve done is great, especially in the second half against Bayern. It’s not easy to train, and we will have to adapt and balance the loads so that the training sessions aren’t too intense. The players are doing wonderfully, and they have adapted and are adjusting to the match.”
“I believe in the team, and we have many qualities, and that’s what we want to see. Everyone plays at their best and supports each other. When we are united, it is our greatest strength.”
Barcelona’s high-line defense against Bayern wasn’t a one-off performance. Hansi Flick has deployed this strategy in every match this season, and its success against a top team like Bayern has certainly grabbed everyone’s attention.
With Real Madrid next on the calendar, the high line will face an even bigger challenge. Carlo Ancelotti will look to exploit the pace of players like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, who can break Barcelona’s offside trap with ease. However, as Flick mentions, Barcelona must fully commit to their philosophy.
FC Barcelona Fans Throw Stones at Bayern Munich
It was already known that there was an incident when Bayern Munich’s bus arrived at the stadium for their Champions League match against FC Barcelona on Wednesday.
Barca fans — reportedly — shouted insults and offensive language at the bus carrying the players and club staff, but that wasn’t the only thing that happened.
As reported by Bild, FC Barcelona fans also threw stones at the bus, creating a potentially dangerous situation. Here’s the report from Bild:
The team bus was attacked by unidentified individuals as it made its way up Montjuïc mountain to the Olympic Stadium, where Barça is currently playing due to renovations at Camp Nou, with a planned return in early 2025 and a future capacity of 105,000 seats.
The cowardly attack from behind was only revealed after the German record champions returned to Munich.
According to BILD, the Bayern bus was damaged by the stone-throwing, with a window being shattered and the bus driver’s door also suffering damage. Fortunately, no one on board was injured!
The damage was not revealed on the match day but was disclosed the following day. FC Bayern confirmed the incident when BILD inquired.
The Munich team is ensuring the stone attack doesn’t go unpunished: The club promptly reported the incident to UEFA, prompting the European Football Association to launch an investigation into the matter in Barcelona.
Never Miss a Match! Download our app and keep up with daily football news and updates wherever you are.
Install App
