Flick: I chose Raphinha and Pedri as captains, the other three were chosen by the players

On this matchday, Barcelona will visit Valencia. Coach Flick said at the pre-match press conference that it was his decision to name Raphinha and Pedri as captains.

How is Yamal? Can he play tomorrow?

He trained individually and everything went well. He will travel with the team to Valencia tomorrow, and then we'll see.

How were the captains chosen?

My coaching staff and I have been here for two years and we know the team better. So two of the captains were appointed by me, and the other three were chosen by the players. The first captain is Raphinha, the second is Pedri, the third is Eric García, the fourth is De Jong, and then Lamine Yamal.

Why did Yamal train individually today?

He took a knock and felt some discomfort, so we thought it was best for him to train individually. After training, he said he was fine. He will go with us to Valencia and we hope he can play.

At the beginning of this season, Real Madrid and Barcelona are in excellent form, but yesterday Mourinho's team stumbled at Betis. Is this also a reminder for Barcelona?

I think if you watched yesterday's match, you know that Real Madrid also played very well and had many good opportunities, but that's football—these things always happen. We need to focus on ourselves. We want to play our own style and approach, so everyone must be committed at 100%. Of course, tomorrow's match will be difficult, starting at 3 p.m. in warm weather, but in short, there are no excuses. We must be fully prepared. We want to win, but it won't be easy.

What are the plans for Jesús? Will he have a chance to play tomorrow? What is his fitness level?

I'm very happy with today's training. Of course, he may not be in peak condition, but he can already play some minutes and provide a good option for the team tomorrow, especially in the second half. We'll decide based on how the match and the score develop. But I think he's ready. I really like his football—he's calm on the ball and in front of goal.

Is this season's squad stronger than last season's?

In terms of pressing, passing, and coordination, our training quality is very high, and every drill and every possession game shows an extremely high level. But ultimately, what matters is winning matches and titles, and at Barcelona, that's what's most important. So we'll have to wait until the end of the season to know if this team is stronger than in previous years, but the quality of the squad is first-class.

What do you think about De Jong and his selection as captain?

I think it's normal. It was the same group of players last season. Only two captains changed this season. The previous captains Ter Stegen and Araujo left, so Eric and Lamine replaced them. In my opinion, Raphinha and Pedri have a lot of influence in the team. I didn't want to decide all five captains myself—I only chose these two because they're important, and all five are usually starters, so I think it's clear. As I said before, I know the team better now.

Last season Marc (Ter Stegen) didn't play much, Ronald (Araujo) was out for a long time, and Frenkie as well. The team nominated these five players as captains, which is an excellent group capable of leadership, and I'm very satisfied. Everything is running smoothly at this stage, which is important, and perhaps at some point we'll need to have conversations. I need all the players, especially this season—they have a responsibility to the team. The players made good decisions, and I'm very satisfied with the team.

You said you expected the team to reach peak form after the international break. There are still 5 league matches before the break. Do you think the plan can be successfully implemented?

We work hard every day. The quality of training is unquestionable, and I see the attitude and mentality of the players, which I'm very satisfied with. The team atmosphere is very good—everyone is focused on the task at hand and improving their condition through daily training, which is important, and I want to maintain it. I'm very satisfied at the moment.

Today Koundé trained as a centre-back, but in recent matches you've used him more as a fullback. Are you experimenting with new centre-back options in training? After all, Barcelona couldn't sign a new left centre-back in the summer market. How can Koundé regain the form he showed in your first season as coach?

All I can say is that Jules (Koundé) is an extremely dedicated player. He wasn't a starter at the beginning of this season, but it was a challenge for him—competition he faced—and he's given everything in training. I spoke with him, and perhaps he can play as a centre-back. I know he prefers to play as a fullback because I remember that in my first season as coach, he played at his best level and wants to return to that state. We'll help him—that's our job—but currently we have excellent options for each position, and the team is always most important, so we'll always make decisions based on what's best for the team. Jules trains hard every day and wants to return to his best level.

This season the club's transfer investment broke records. Does this create pressure and greater responsibility for you? Or do you feel it doesn't matter—that it's Deco's concern?

We made the transfers together, and I'm very happy with the situation. It's normal to need to bring in new players when others leave. It's not easy to tell players who came through La Masia that it's time to leave, but we felt it could be the right moment for them to look for opportunities elsewhere and improve themselves. I know playing for Barcelona is the dream of every La Masia player, but we have to be honest with each player.

This season we have an important objective: to win titles for Barcelona, so it's good to strengthen the squad, and that's what we're doing, and it's working well so far. I'm very satisfied. Change is constant in life, and it's common in football. We must stay the course we've set and believe deeply in what we're doing.

Raphinha has scored 5 goals in the first 3 matches. Did you deploy him as a striker because of his goalscoring ability, his superior movement as a striker compared to other players, or to accommodate other players like Gundogan, who feels comfortable as a winger?

Raphinha also tends to cut inside when he plays as a winger. I think he needs to be involved in attacking play, and he's doing it very well right now, and he's our best option in this position at the moment. I often say he's first to press because he's very hard-working, quick, and helps us a lot. But the other players are very serious and always focused on what we need to do, especially defensively. Everyone is involved, which is why our defence is very strong.

So far this season, you've been cautious using Spanish internationals. Pedri and Rodri have been substitutes, but Yamal has started three consecutive matches and played the full 90 minutes in the last two. Why? Is it possible he could be a substitute tomorrow?

We still have to wait and see about tomorrow's plans—I can't say today. I'll make a decision after speaking with him about whether it's better for him to rest or start. But Lamine is a player who wants to play football, not just run on the wing in training, which is why we've given him plenty of minutes. Playing the full 90 minutes in the first home match was important. It was clear that after that match, he felt much better and closer to the form he wanted to be in. He performed well in the last match and can handle the intensity of 90 minutes. For him, playing the full match is much better than doing recovery training the next day, so I think letting him play and then doing recovery work the next day is a good option.

Traducido por IA.

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