According to sources, one of Hansi Flick's main strengths is his ability to delegate work. He has brought in Marcus Sorg, Toni Tapalovic and Heiko Westermann as assistant coaches at Barcelona, and is willing to rely on the new fitness department set up by sporting director Deco in the summer.
Julio Tous, who previously worked with Antonio Conte at Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Tottenham, is the Blaugrana's new fitness coach.
Fitness and stamina are key factors that Barcelona president Joan Laporta says the club needs to improve this season. According to Laporta, this is also the reason why Barca declined towards the end of last season.
In their five La Liga defeats in 2023-24 - two to Real Madrid, two to Girona and one to Villarreal - Barcelona have been leading at least once in four of those five games. However, they have fallen short in the second half, conceding in the 65th, 67th, 75th, 80th and 95th minutes in the two games against Girona; 68th, 73rd, 91st and 92nd minutes against Real Madrid; and 84th, 99th and 102nd minutes against Villarreal.
"I see a very high intensity. When I spoke to Julio Tous, he told me that the team is using different methods. The exercises are really dynamic, with a lot of strength work. We have a coach who wants to push until the 90th minute and the fitness team is happy with the results they are getting," Laporta said last week.
Laporta's comments were echoed by Barcelona's players, including youngster Pedri. "We work much harder than before. The new fitness coaches are really good for us. We work hard and you see that in the games. The team doesn't drop after the 70th or 80th minute, we maintain the same fitness level," said the Spanish midfielder.
Besides, Pedri also did not forget to praise his new teacher Flick. "Hansi Flick helps us, the young players, a lot. He always grasps what we need and we appreciate that. He is really close to the players. Besides being serious, he likes to joke and is not always as serious as he appears" - Pedri added.
The early signs for Barcelona are promising. The season is only four games old, but the Blaugrana look much more resilient. They have yet to concede a second-half goal and have even come from behind to win two of their first four games. Crucially, their victories have often been in dominant fashion, as exemplified by their 7-0 win over Real Valladolid.
Remember, last season, Barcelona conceded an average of 0.63 goals per game in the second half. Of those, 0.24 goals per game came between the 76th and 90th minutes. Now, they are playing creative and open football under Flick, giving the feeling of the golden Blaugrana of the past.
