Tribal Football

Barcelona coach Flick wary facing Real Sociedad; calls for Martinez renewal

Carlos Volcano
Barcelona coach Flick wary facing Real Sociedad; calls for Martinez renewal
Barcelona coach Flick wary facing Real Sociedad; calls for Martinez renewalLaLiga
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expects a challenge going to Real Sociedad today.

While La Real have battled for form so far this season, Flick isn't taking the trip lightly.

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Real Sociedad:

"Although we are doing very well, I really like Real Sociedad, they have a style that I like.

"Every game is different. The counter is always reset to zero and against Barça it is always different. The whole stadium will be behind them and there will be a great atmosphere. They know how to press. It is important to play with confidence and to have possession of the ball. That is what we want to do, to follow the line of play with and without the ball. It is important to have possession, to recover quickly, to create opportunities and to take advantage of them."

 

Pau Cubarsi, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal:

"I think Pau will be there, he trained with us throughout the session. Lamine has done specific strength work, he has played a lot and we'll see how he is tomorrow. Dani Olmo felt a little bad, uncomfortable during the night. This morning he was a little better, they are treating him and we'll see although I think he will be ready for tomorrow."

 

Yesterday's rest:

"I've talked about it with my coaching staff and sometimes you have to look at the players, how they feel. You can see things by looking at their faces. We always like to train, but the second training session after the game isn't as long and sometimes it's good to refresh the mind."

 

First months:

"There are many things I'm satisfied with, but when we watch the games and I saw the last one in Belgrade we see what we asked for. When you watch the one against Espanyol the second half wasn't good because we didn't finish as a team. That's something I value a lot.

"Step by step. Game by game. And that's the key. We're not looking back either. We're focusing on the next game. Everyone is focused on that. They're not thinking about how well the last six have played, they're thinking about the next one. And Real Sociedad will be a tough match.

"It's just another game. There are three points at stake. It's not going to be easy. We have to work together for more than 90 minutes, as a team. And that's what we're going to do."

 

Renewal of Iñigo Martínez:

"His performance is great, he's a leader. It's a very young team, so it's important to have experienced players like Iñigo. In training he usually wins all the games. If he continues playing like this, yes, without a doubt. The contract is not my job. My job is to improve the team. If it works, the normal thing is that the contract will be renewed. The performance of the last games is incredible."

 

Punctuality:

"It's a rule, a norm. I'm not talking about the past. It's about respect, about respecting the team. If you arrive five minutes late, they have to wait for you and that's disrespectful."

 

Robert Lewandowski:

"He is 100% fit. I am very impressed with his performance in defence. I don't think I need to give him any more rest."

 

Thierry Henry's words about Xavi:

"It's not fair to always compare my work with Xavi's. They are two different situations and I have always had a lot of respect for Xavi because he was a great player and he is a great coach. Now I am here. He gave many youngsters the opportunity to be in the first team and that is his merit. I continue in that line."