Former Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick has commended the “great football” played by Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich side as he prepares to face his former club with Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Flick, who led Bayern to a treble in the 2019/20 season, will welcome the Bundesliga leaders to Camp Nou, aiming to bolster Barcelona’s quest for a sixth European title before turning his attention to a high-profile El Clásico against Real Madrid on Saturday.
Flick’s Connection to Bayern Munich
A former Bayern player in the 1980s, Flick left the club as head coach in 2021 after securing back-to-back Bundesliga titles. His extraordinary 2019/20 season saw him become only the second coach of a German club to win the Bundesliga, DFB Cup, and Champions League in the same campaign.
Though Flick took over Barcelona in the summer following a challenging stint as Germany’s national coach, he has continued to follow Bayern closely. He has been particularly impressed with the work Kompany has done since taking over the Bayern reins this summer.
Praise for Kompany’s Bayern
“This season Bayern are playing great football under Kompany. They press very high and are brave with and without the ball. It’s going to be a tough game. But we’ll try to do our best and we’re ready,” Flick said ahead of the Champions League matchup.
“They always play a dominant style. They try to put pressure on their opponents, they’re brave, they keep the ball. They try to impose their style and their quality. That’s their DNA,” he added, acknowledging the strength of the team he once led.
Reflecting on Past Success
Flick’s Bayern famously crushed Barcelona 8-2 in the quarter-finals of the 2020 Champions League, a moment that lives in the memories of both clubs. However, Flick emphasized that his focus is on the present. With Barcelona leading La Liga by three points, Flick knows the past is irrelevant now.
“I live in the here and now. We can’t influence what happened, only what will happen. We want to win at Bayern,” he said, stressing the importance of his team’s Champions League performance rather than looking ahead to the upcoming domestic showdown with Real Madrid.
Focus on Bayern, Not Real Madrid
“We’re only thinking about Bayern, not Real Madrid. It helps us to go step by step and not think about what’s coming up. Bayern play very well, they have extraordinary players. That’s what you want: to measure yourself against the best. It’s an extraordinary game,” Flick concluded, focusing on Wednesday’s high-stakes European clash.
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