Barcelona have had a remarkable start to the 2024-25 season. Since taking over as head coach in the summer, Hansi Flick has breathed new life into the club, and that has excited supporters across the world.
Flick has come in for lots of plaudits over the last few months, with many crediting him as having started a new era at Can Barca. However, this view is not shared by former Barcelona forward Thierry Henry, who spoke on the matter during CBS’ Champions League coverage (via Relevo).
“I don’t think Flick started this era. It was Xavi who did it. Flick is continuing what Xavi did – he was the one who gave the opportunity to Cubarsi, to Lamine Yamal… It was Xavi who put a lot of players there.”
“Xavi left and Flick arrived, but I think with the two years they played together with Xavi, and going through a difficult season like the previous one, that’s where you learn the most about your character and what you have to do. This team right now must be considered one of the favourites to win the Champions League and for that you could also need to lose a semi-final, lose a quarter-final, to know how complicated it will be, but I think they can do it.”
Whether Xavi or Flick kick-started this era is irrelevant to those at Barcelona, who will only want the good times to keep rolling. It remains to be seen how good a season they can have in 2024-25.
Aaronpauljr
233
Yea, Xavi started it, Barcelona wasn’t like this Under Koeman. Let’s be honest and not ignore the fact that Xavi revamped the team with Youngsters from the Academy..
JUST_MEE
159
Yeah Xavi initiated the new era but couldn't execute it. Flick came in with the perfect plane and boom everything is beginning to move on smoothly. Dear Blaugranas, let's not leave Xavi's good deeds for our beloved club, let's learn to appreciate his work Visca Barça! Viva Calunja💙♥️
sedabclmr
76
we don't care who did what, let's gather and keep celebrating our success. barca fans have gone through a lot for a while. vamos Barca.
FaisalMatuidi
63
did Xavi brought out the best in Raphinha? No...Lewy was almost regretting his choice of coming to Barcelona and the club wasn't competing well against good sides. Henry is saying that because he had more connection with Xavi than Flick and this has been a general problem when it comes to voting where people vote for their friends and favourites. Flick deserves his flowers for genuinely starting a new era at Barcelona.
beyaeltu
41
yea he started the use of youngsters but didnt have enough confidence in them. He used them because he had no choice. He was jimselfnot very experienced. He still wouldnt be winning the way Flick is even if he were still there. it would have still been second fiddle to Real Madrid.
yapaeopty
36
Xavi is like Lampard, the same way Lampard did at Chelsea, he brought players but he don't know how to use them
senceklsty
32
This is an honest assesment but Xavi didn't trust young players the way Flick is handling. However, it's still earlier to applause.
pium
13
Yea, Xavi started it, Barcelona wasn’t like this Under Koeman. Let’s be honest and not ignore the fact that Xavi revamped the team with Youngsters from the Academy..
Tbh just look at the team Koeman was given 🥲 Cannot blame him. With that team Xavi would have finished outside Europe qualifying. But every coach had their own part. Koeman was the one who stopped Pedri from loaning out and gave chances to him ahead of fan favourite Puig at that time. He polished Araujo to be the leader of our defence. Xavi gave chances to Cubrasi, Lamine and polished academy players Balde, Gavi etc. But with Lamine yamal come on. But we all know Xavi cannot do what Flick is doing atm. But indeed he did lot of work for this success.
Davichi
1
Let's not forget that in Xavi's 2 and half seasons. Barcelona spend around 400m on transfers excluding free transfers and let's be honest if Flick was the one in charge during that period, he would have done better with those young stars because he is more experienced and has better tactics and training than Xavi. Not taking away anything from Xavi but trust me if Xavi was still in charge we would have just been just a bit above the level of an average team and he will be given all sort of complaints usual saying there is no quality in the team injury this injury that financial this financial and telling us how we are still in transition. Every coach has his own era Xavi did his but couldn't really make us a top team but Flick came in and instantly made it happen even with less quality because there is no Gondogan, no Felix and no Cancelo which where part of Xavi's team last season. I don't think what Henry said makes sense at all cause you can't say what Pep is doing is not his era because there was a coach who did well before he came in, a coach era doesn't mean every player in his team should be the one who came in during his mandate. The coach who is really benefiting from the work of another coach is Slot from Liverpool who is benefiting from a team that Klopp build for years did great with it left it in top form and still, this is now the Ane Slot era at Liverpool no logic should be brought into it.
What is your definition of quality? Those players you mentioned... Gondogan and co, what impact have they had so far in their current teams? Do you understand what it means to "start something"? The fact is that whether Flick could have done better than Xavi if he took over back than can not be known because football (life) isn't 1+1= 2. No one will contest the fact that Flick is better and more experienced than Xavi but Xavi begin this new era. What we had under Koeman was chaos... it was Xavi that brought stability and Flick didn't have to start from the scratch because of what Xavi already established. You guys keep claiming that Xavi had better players which is absurd because the players who have left aren't better than the ones we have now. Cancelo is good in attacking but it's easy to catch him off guard in defense, meanwhile we saw Kounde improving gradually as a RB under Xavi and has taken his game to the next level under Flick. Gondogan has experience but isn't the midfield general that Barca needs and you should know he can't play the high intensity game that Flick plays now... Pedri was Xavi's most effective discovery alongside Gavi. Yamal is young but began to show what he's made off under Xavi (we could already see he was going to be a world class player) and he continues to improve under Flick. Cubarsi had already established himself as a CB leader under Xavi in the absence of Araujo. What Flick has brought is a playing style that brings out the best in Lewandoski and a better way to utilize Raphinha. Also improving the overall performance of the team. I think the most important that Flick has done is finding a solution to the Busquets' conundrum via Casado and Bernal. So get the point here... Flick is better and more experienced but he didn't start afresh but built from where Xavi stopped, this is why Henry is right to say that Xavi began this era. I have one last question for you... which one of the players who have left is better than Olmo?