Barcelona had the ambition to win the Champions League this year after a difficult semifinal loss the previous season. However, it was still a strong campaign from the team managed by Hansi Flick, who commented on the topic of Pep Guardiola’s departure from Manchester City.
Flick said: “Me here for 10 years? I don’t think so. At 70 years old… it wouldn’t be good for me to still be here. Pep is incredible, 10 years at that level. Pep is the best manager in the world. He has shown it year after year… even when things were not going well, he knew how to manage the situation. He always finds a solution to improve, and you can see it in the titles he has won. He is exceptional. I hope he gets some rest, but I also hope he comes back because he is still young.”
This comment came as the team gets ready to finish La Liga already crowned champions in a match against Valencia on Saturday. While they cannot reach the 100 points they wanted for the record, their 94 points show how dominant they were in the competition.
Flick wants to match Guardiola and Johan Cruyff
The club’s history includes many major figures who shaped what it is today. However, none have been more influential than Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola. Both were key as players, especially Cruyff with his talent, and later transformed the game through their teams as managers.
This sport has seen managers who created global trends, but few have had the impact on how football is played like these historic figures, which Flick aims to match by winning a third consecutive La Liga title.
Flick said: “I’m one hundred percent motivated to win the third. We have to play our best football, but it’s the big objective. We will give everything to achieve it. Other clubs will also want to win La Liga, but it’s our goal.”
The other records
What the manager is trying to achieve has only been done by these two greats in the club’s history. Barcelona won four consecutive La Liga titles under Cruyff’s “Dream Team” from 1990–91 to 1993–94. Guardiola couldn’t get to that number as he won three from 2008–09 to 2010–11 with a brilliant style that every modern great team is compared to.