According to Sport, Barcelona coach Flick will bring in German fitness coach Jan-Benjamin Kugel to help shape the new project.

German System

Kugel is one of the most respected fitness coaches in German football. He specializes in sports science, elite athletic performance, and injury prevention, and his career has focused on improving players' physical condition through the use of technology, individualized load management, and methods tailored to the demands of modern football.

He first gained attention during his tenure at the German Football Association, where he worked with the German national team for nearly 10 years. During that time, he worked alongside Flick through one of the most successful periods in German football history, serving on Löw's coaching staff when the team won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The relationship between Kugel and Flick extends far beyond that World Cup. After the tournament, Flick became sporting director of the German Football Association, while Kugel continued to work closely with him in the performance and innovation department, building a strong professional relationship based on trust and a shared understanding of elite football fitness preparation.

Extensive International Football Experience

At club level, Kugel also has extensive experience. He has overseen fitness training at clubs such as Bremen and Cologne, focusing on load planning, player recovery, and injury prevention while managing the high-intensity demands of domestic and international competitions. Later, he also joined the Israeli national team's coaching staff alongside Andreas Herzog and Willi Ruttensteiner. PSV Eindhoven (2020-2022) and Benfica (2022-2024) are his two most recent roles.

His work philosophy is highly consistent with Flick's footballing ideas. His methods aim to help the team maintain high pressing and intensity for 90 minutes while minimizing the risk of muscle injuries through personalized programs and continuous analysis of physical data.

In addition to his scientific background, those who have worked with him also highlight his ability to tailor fitness preparation to each player's needs and the coach's tactical requirements. This has kept him and Flick in a close professional relationship for more than a decade.

Jan-Benjamin Kugel maintains a low profile, staying out of the media spotlight, and has a solid reputation in German football. He prioritizes hands-on work over public exposure and is one of the most recognized figures in high-level fitness preparation.

New Fitness Department

Another important initiative is the readjustment of fitness planning. Barcelona has pushed for the establishment of a new department called the "Department of Athletic Performance and Sports Optimization," led by Julio Tous. Tous, who was primarily responsible for the first team's fitness work before last season, will seek to apply relevant methods across different teams within the club to improve overall performance.

Flick hopes to improve the squad’s physical performance, as his playing style relies heavily on pressing and tracking back, both of which demand extremely high levels of fitness. This season, with the new departmental structure led by Tous and the changes in daily implementation following Kugel’s arrival, Barcelona should be able to address the team’s shortcomings in certain key matches, especially in the Champions League.

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