Hansi Flick talks Lewandowski, Cubarsi, Araujo, Ancelotti ahead of Espanyol vs Barcelona | OneFootball

Following a morale-boosting win over Real Madrid in their last league game, FC Barcelona are set to return to action in La Liga on Thursday as they face RCD Espanyol at Cornella-El Prat.

The Blaugranes can clinch the La Liga title with a win in this game, and the players would be particularly driven to ensure this happens at the stadium of one of their most heated rivals.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, Hansi Flick has already addressed the press ahead of this game and talked about different aspects of the team and this upcoming game.

The main highlights from this presser are as follows:

Hansi Flick started the presser by recognising the improvements made by Espanyol in the last year:

“Espanyol has improved a lot in the second half of the season, with new players and a clear style. We have to stay focused and show that we want to win.”

Pau Cubarsi was reported to have suffered an accident in training today, but the German coach clarified that he is not facing anything serious:

“He’ll be able to play tomorrow without any problems, he took a knock in training, but it’s nothing serious.”

The result of the game between Real Madrid and Mallorca can also determine when Barcelona are crowned La Liga champions, but the Blaugrana coach ensured he was concerned with his own team’s match:

“I haven’t decided yet; what we need to do is stay focused on our match.”

When asked who will start in the goal, Hansi Flick did not reveal anything:

“I’ve decided that today I’m not going to talk about the lineup.”

Similarly, when asked about his renewal, the German coach once again reiterated that they should focus on the game ahead:

“We had a dinner with the president and had a great time, but there’s nothing more to it. We’ll talk about everything after the season. It wouldn’t be good to discuss that now. That’s what I told the team. We have to focus on winning games, not on anything else.”

The Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti will be leaving his club at the end of this season, and Hansi Flick took this opportunity to speak highly of his rival:

“He’s done a great job, he’s a gentleman, a successful coach who will be able to keep succeeding wherever he goes.”

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and Real Madrid trainer Carlo Ancelotti. [Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images]

The Barcelona coach also revealed that Robert Lewandowski is ready to play:

“He’s fine, ready to play, there’s nothing more to say.”

When asked about the poor state of some other teams, the German coach once again declined to comment:

“I’m focused on my team, all my energy is on my team, I’m not thinking about other teams.”

Hansi Flick was also not looking forward to the title celebrations at Cornella yet:

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk or think about celebrations before the match. We have to focus on the game. I saw what happened two years ago on TV. Things should be done with respect. We have to fight for the three points, and then we’ll do what’s right.”

The German tactician assessed his options for the centre-back position, where Inigo Martinez would be unable to play because of suspension:

“It’s not just two options, we also have Eric, a third option. I say that just to clarify. Andreas is doing very well, I see him in good shape. He’s fantastic and gives us a high level. And I didn’t like what happened with Ronald in Milan — I always protect my players. We all make mistakes. We all did in that match.

That’s life. Everyone makes mistakes, but I think it’s also about respect. We have to protect him. He’s fine. We talk about these things. Everyone who works in this game has been in situations like this — you have to manage it well. You need to know how to handle it and protect him.”

Barcelona won all four El Clásicos that took place this season, and Hansi Flick seemed quite proud of his team’s performances against Real Madrid:

“I’m very happy with the fans and the club for how we’ve played these four matches against Madrid, for how they came back in the last match. It was great to see. They didn’t touch the ball in our half for 24 minutes, and that was because of our structure. That stat seemed fantastic to me, and it’s something we can be proud of.

I’m happy because I know it’s important for the fans. And no, I won’t write a book. I already wrote one, and that’s enough.”

There is no doubt that every Barcelona fan would be proud with his team’s performances in these four classics. Hopefully, Hansi Flick will be able to keep up his team’s performances next season and give even more cause for joy to the fans.