In a recent La Liga match, FC Barcelona defeated Valencia 5-0 away and secured their fourth consecutive victory. Head coach Flick spoke at the post-match press conference about the team's performance.

Given that the team had almost no pre-season preparation, they've achieved consecutive high-scoring wins from the start. Did you expect such a strong start?

As I said yesterday, the key is training quality. After seeing the team's training performances, I was convinced we could play well, and I think we played a wonderful, almost perfect match today because we controlled the game and dominated the opponent. That's what I want to see—taking the initiative, trying to create space—and we did that. We stayed calm, and whenever we had a chance, we tried to shoot. We played a good match.

You said "almost" perfect...

Maybe it was perfect (laughs), but well, nothing is perfect. There's always room for improvement. If it were truly perfect, we wouldn't need to work hard. There's always room for improvement, and we can achieve that. I'm not sure if we should keep pushing forward after going 5-0 up; sometimes it's better to be more controlled, as that can create more opportunities for the opponent.

What did you discuss with Lamine Yamal this morning? Had you already decided to start him? Weren't you surprised by his performance?

He trained individually yesterday and had no problems. We spoke this morning, and he said he felt good and could play the full 90 minutes. As everyone saw, he's constantly involved in pressing, and defensively all the players work well together, staying compact, which is very good.

FC Barcelona spent the whole summer looking for a striker, but without signing one, the team scored 17 goals in 4 matches. How do you explain that?

Yes, we've scored 17 goals in 4 matches, but that doesn't change our philosophy. We normally need a number 9, a true striker—that's obvious. But ultimately, we have strong capabilities both in attack and defense, and everyone in midfield can score. I'm very pleased that Pedri scored today as well. I'm satisfied with how we play, how we control the game, and how we use the space. We have not only one-on-one abilities but also finishing skills, which is good.

Pedri just said in an interview that the team wants to fight for everything this season. Does the team's ambition reassure you?

Of course. From the players who won the World Cup, I see their desire for further success, but that also means we must work hard every day. Opponents won't hand us victories; you have to be aware that the path to our goals is difficult, but we're trying.

We have fantastic fans who always support us. We fight for them and for this great club. In my opinion, our current situation is excellent because we have a very young squad and we've made some sensible signings. But the season has just begun; I'd be happier if this were the case at the end of the season, but we still have a long way to go.

What is Rodri's greatest contribution to this team? What's the difference with and without him?

We're very pleased he's here, and as you can see, every touch of the ball, every movement on the pitch is very purposeful. He can organize the team's attacking play with the ball and defensive play without it. I also want to say that Bernal played very well. If he can make the most of this opportunity, he'll continue to improve, which is exactly what we hope to achieve with this transfer. Rodri is excellent; not only does he play well on the pitch, but he's also an absolute leader in the dressing room. I'm very happy to have him.

Is today's starting lineup the team's strongest possible lineup?

That was just the starting XI for today's match, but we have many other players who also have the ability to start. As I said, the squad is very strong, and I need to manage it well. It's not easy to make everyone happy, but football changes quickly. I'm pleased with Dani Olmo; he played well after coming on. I sense he wants more playing time, and he's very focused. Of course, he's not happy not to be in the starting eleven. In football, starting is everything, and substitutes typically don't have as much influence as starters, but ultimately the team is a whole, and we always want to make the best decisions for the team. So far everything is going well, but we still have a long way to go.

Everyone always talks about stars like Yamal and Rodri, but I think Fermín is underrated.

Anyone can see what kind of player he is. He's physically strong, works hard, is very dangerous in and around the box, has the ability to score, and actively contributes to pressing with good counter-pressing awareness, which is excellent. Sometimes I wish he'd keep the ball a bit longer, but he's still young, and sometimes he plays with too much urgency, which leads to mistakes, but overall he's doing very well.

Übersetzt von KI.

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