Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expressed his excitement about the “unique atmosphere” surrounding the club as they gear up for Sunday’s Clásico against a Real Madrid team that is currently facing turmoil due to internal conflicts.
If Barça can avoid losing to Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou this weekend, they will secure the LaLiga title with three matches remaining.
In the lead-up to the Clásico, much of the attention has been on a dramatic altercation between Madrid players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, rather than on Barcelona’s pursuit of consecutive league titles.
This stands in stark contrast to the environment at Barça, where Flick praised the strong bonds among his players as a crucial factor behind their success this season.
“The atmosphere and connection between the players is truly special,” the German coach stated during a press conference on Saturday.
“We have a squad filled with quality, world-class players. The chemistry among everyone is remarkable, especially among the academy players who have known each other for many years.
“Winning a second title with this young team would be incredible. The players have done a fantastic job, and now we aim to secure the title, our second in a row, which is quite rare here in Spain.
When asked about the situation at Madrid, Flick admitted he was somewhat taken aback by the incidents in the Spanish capital.
Valverde and Tchouaméni were each fined €500,000 ($589,000) by their club following a training ground scuffle on Thursday that resulted in Valverde being hospitalized.
He was later diagnosed with a concussion and will not participate in Sunday’s game, although Tchouaméni is expected to play.
“Was I surprised? Maybe a little,” Flick commented.
“These events happen in football and in life. While it’s not typical, it can occur, and it’s essential to address it through communication.
“I prefer not to talk about Madrid; that’s not my role. It’s always about the team, the ‘we,’ not the ‘me.’ It’s not an issue of ego, but rather the team as a whole.
“However, for them, this is also a Clásico, and they will be completely focused, eager to win. That’s what makes the Clásico so significant – not just for Barça, but for Real as well.”
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Historically, Barça has never secured the title in a match against Madrid. In fact, it has only occurred once before in this rivalry’s history, when a 2-2 draw in 1932 led to Los Blancos claiming their first of 36 league titles.
Flick will be able to select from nearly a full squad as Barça aims for their 29th title on Sunday. The only confirmed absentee is Lamine Yamal, with Andreas Christensen still uncertain for the match.
Nevertheless, Raphinha and Marc Bernal are back in contention after featuring in last week’s 2-1 victory over Osasuna, which extended Barça’s winning streak in LaLiga to 10 matches.
“Selecting 11 players for tomorrow won’t be easy,” Flick acknowledged. “We have almost everyone back, and the level of performance is remarkable.
“We aim to play our style and not get sidetracked by outside factors. We understand our objectives clearly, and we want to demonstrate that. We find ourselves in this strong position because we’ve had an outstanding season as a collective unit.”