Hansi Flick was a satisfied man after Barcelona kicked off their La Liga campaign with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Elche. But the German was quick to warn that the scoreline papered over several areas his side still need to sharpen up in the weeks ahead.
Speaking after the match, as reported by Spanish newspaper “Sport”, Flick called the result a perfect start. Five goals on his league debut counted as a very good beginning, he said, yet he insisted his team have far more to give than they showed here.
“Today I saw a lot of things we still have to improve significantly, but there are also many things we do very well,” he said.
Praise flowed for Barcelona’s academy graduates, and Xavi Espart in particular. The teenager, Flick noted, played with clear character and a real command of the ball.
“It’s wonderful to see Xavi and the La Masia players at this level,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where he plays, he knows what to do with the ball.”
Gavi provided the one note of worry on an otherwise joyful night. The midfielder had to deal with a problem in his knee, though Flick moved quickly to ease the concern.
“The initial indications look better than expected,” he explained. “It looks better than it seemed at first. We have to wait until the tests are done, but it looks much better than we expected.”
Alejandro Balde’s future was the next topic Flick put to bed. The full-back missed the Elche squad entirely, sparking talk of a possible exit, but the coach was emphatic: he had never asked the player to leave.
His conversation with Balde, Flick revealed, came on the morning of the match, when he sensed the defender was in an unusual frame of mind. He advised the player to take some time to clear his head before they picked the discussion back up.
Real progress, Flick argued, has to start on the training pitch. The quality the players show day to day is the foundation for carrying that form into matches, he said, before delivering a clear message on collective effort: “It is very important now that we play as one team, and that we defend together and attack together.”
Transfers were not far from Flick’s thoughts either. Asked about the chance of a new striker arriving to bolster the front line, he confirmed talks were under way with Deco. He refused to jump ahead or spill any details, saying only that the conversations would continue over the coming days and that Barcelona would wait to see what developments brought.