LEGO as a tool: Do Hansi Flick’s building blocks go together again against Dortmund?

Hansi Flick prefers to play Lego with his two grandchildren. The game with the small colorful building blocks, which is supposed to promote creativity and problem-solving capacity, possibly also helped the 60-year-old with the difficult job, which he started at FC Barcelona last summer.

In the highly indebted and shaken club, the former national coach quickly formed one of the most successful and exciting football teams all over Europe from a relatively desert squad. Barcelona is suddenly a favorite on the Champions League title.

Flick’s reputation did not harm the fact that the dress rehearsal for the quarter-final first leg of the premier class on Wednesday (9:00 p.m.) against Borussia Dortmund failed.

The league leader of the first Spanish league lost two valuable points in the fight for the title in the 1-1 win against Betis in front of his own audience, which also tore a series of nine victories in a row. The many hymns of praise on the 60-year-old did not stop at the weekend.

Popular in Spain

Flick is celebrated not only in Barcelona, ​​where, among other things, well -known trainers such as Ronald Koeman and Clubidol Xavi Hernández. In Madrid, the home of the arch -rival Real, he is considered one of the stars of the current season in La Liga. Flick’s team is a scary « monster » for the capital city « AS ». Media describes the trainer, among other things, as « alchemists » (gold maker) and as « magician ».

The German won huge success with FC Bayern at home, but despite six titles, including Champions League, was often more pale. The preliminary round out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar damaged Flicks Image so enormously that in September 2023 it was a national coach. At Barcelona, ​​Flick is now experiencing the next football spring. His always friendly and prudent appearance on and outside the field is praised. The Spaniards see him a real gentleman.

According to connoisseurs of the cabin, Flick is also respected and loved by his protégés. « He pulls all the threads (…) a lot has changed in the club, so everything works, » said recent defender Ronald Araújo, although the international from Uruguay is no longer a regular under Flick.

In fact, a lot is currently working in Barcelona: the Catalans not only play beautiful and offensive, but also effective: they are the only team of the five largest leagues in Europe that has not suffered a defeat this year. They have been unbeaten for 22 competitive games. The great Pep Guardiola achieved 28 in the 2010/11 season. Coach Luis Enrique holds the record with 39 (2016/17).

« Dreaming is allowed »

The team around Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, the young star Lamine Yamal (17), Pau Cubarsí (18), Gavi (20) and Pedri (22), as well as the ex-Bundesliga stars Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo achieve great victories this season. Permanent rival Real was defeated once with 5: 2 and once with 4: 0. The 4: 1 against Flicks Ex-Club Bavaria in the Champions League was also impressive.

Even without goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen, who carefully returns to training after a long injury break, there is usually sovereign performance. Barca won the Spanish Supercup, leads the league table, is in the Spanish cup final – and wants to move back into the semi -finals in the Champions League for the first time since 2019. There, Flick and Lewandowski could expect a reunion with the old Munich employer.

Against Dortmund, the statistics speak for flick. As a trainer, he won all six comparisons with BVB – most recently in the royal class preliminary round away with 3: 2. The coach, no friend of big tones, heats up the euphoria with a rather modest sentence these days. « Dreaming is allowed, » he replied when asked whether the triple from league, trophy and champions League was possible. But he immediately pushed after: « However, we have to stay focused. »