Barcelona manager Hansi Flick already laying down the law to ‘environment’ around club | OneFootball

Much has been made about the entorno or environment that surrounds Barcelona in recent years, a term which describes the collection of directors, extended relations of players, journalists and general characters within the Barcelona setup. Xavi Hernandez called it cruel, and many have posited that it is almost impossible to understand for outsiders.

That it is something that Hansi Flick must learn to deal with however. The new man in the job is yet to be sucked into the web of relationships, favours and conflicts, but he is already trying to set the tone for his stay. According to Sport, he is attempting to limit the number of people that are able to watch training sessions.

Beforehand, any number of people with the right relations could be found watching training, and it’s something that did not please the players. Towards the end of last season, they were shocked to find that a journalist was watching training.

The Catalan paper details that Flick has been burnt before by experiences of people leaking inside information, something which is a constant problem at Barcelona. The German coach believes that by limiting the number of people at training it can help combat the leaks, and create the right working environment.

One of the problems that beset Xavi’s era was the flood of information available to the press. The trade off will no doubt land at Flick’s door. In the past, managers have built relationships with journalists, in a bid for more favourable coverage. If Barcelona are to be successful, reducing the distractions and noise around the club will make it much easier.