The "Reincarnated" Souls in Barcelona Thanks to Hansi Flick

Through a memorable first meeting with Hans-Dieter Flick in London on May 14, 2024, Barcelona's Sports Director Deco was willing to persuade President Joan Laporta to annul the contract extension of then-coach Xavi Hernandez. A year later, Flick led Barca to a clean sweep of three domestic trophies in the 2024-2025 season.

Through an explanation using an iPad at the home of his agent, Pini Zahavi, Flick was able to revive Barca from the ruins of an ongoing financial crisis. Although still suffering economically, Flick has led Barca to reclaim dominance in Spain.

Before securing the La Liga title, Flick had already assisted "Blaugrana" in standing on the champion's podium at the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. Their glory in the "Land of the Matador" was confirmed after defeating their eternal rival, Real Madrid.

Three achievements in the inaugural season managing Barca certainly represent a significant leap in Barca's journey, which was trophyless last season, even though Flick failed to lead Barca to the final of this year's UEFA Champions League.

However, his achievements with Lamine Yamal and his friends are more special than the treble winner he won for Bayern Munich in 2019-2020.

Flick is not considering a large transfer budget to revive Barca from its performance slump in the 2023-2024 league season. Only Dani Olmo and Wojciech Szczesny are newcomers in the squad under Flick's early era.

Despite all financial limitations, the German tactician has proven his true quality after his image was tarnished due to the elimination of the German national team in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup. He understands that Barcelona is a stepping stone for his coaching career. Flick has the opportunity to reincarnate his status as one of the top coaches in the world.

Regardless of the impressive tactical approach and his ability to dominate the Barca dressing room, Flick also possesses a steady hand to revive players who were nearly sidelined from Barca due to a decline in performance during Xavi's final season. Raphinha and Frenkie De Jong are prime examples.

In the 2023-2024 season, Raphinha has only experienced 17 times playing as a starter out of 28 appearances in La Liga. The Brazilian player has recorded an average of 49 minutes per match. Raphinha has collected six goals and nine assists.

In key moments this season, he has again played a key role in Barca's system.

Under Flick's management, Raphinha has emerged as a strong candidate for the Ballon d'Or. The 28-year-old player has been trusted by Flick to start in 30 matches. His playing time has also surged to an average of 79 minutes per game.

Raphinha has contributed 18 goals and nine assists in La Liga this season. When combined with his performance in the Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, and Copa del Rey, Raphinha has amassed a total of 34 goals and 25 assists.

Not only impressive statistical records. Flick has been able to help Raphinha surpass limits that were never imagined by previous coaches. In addition to regularly playing as a left winger to support Yamal on the opposite side, Raphinha also does not hesitate to take on a new role as an attacking midfielder.

"I will not stop. With this shirt, I have won everything in Spain, including two league titles. We have the ambition to pursue the Champions League next season which is very close this year," said Raphinha after Barca beat Espanyol 2-0 in the Spanish League title decider, Friday (16/5/2025) early morning WIB, at the Cornella-El Prat Stadium, reported by Mundo Deportivo

Raphinha has also become a tangible example of the enhancement of the champion mentality instilled by Flick in the Barca squad. The Barca players do not hesitate to engage in self-criticism in the public domain regarding their performances.

"Individually, the game (against Espanyol) was one of my worst games of the season," said Raphinha.

Meanwhile, De Jong has emerged as one of the key midfielders this season. The Dutchman has been able to become a mainstay pivot.

De Jong is a field general who bridges the backline and the front, orchestrating the crucial rhythm of game transitions in Flick's tactics. An average record of 95 percent accurate passes makes De Jong the Barca midfielder with the best passing accuracy.

De Jong's performance has compelled Marc Casado to share roles. De Jong has only been designated as a key player nine times in La Liga this season, but he is irreplaceable in crucial matches, such as the last two league games.

In the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, the primary defensive midfielder position belongs to De Jong. Moreover, he has played 15 matches out of 44 appearances under Flick's management as the team captain. This aligns with his role as the third captain of the team after Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo.

Ruud Gullit, the legend of the Dutch national team, praised De Jong's resurgence, particularly in the second half of this season. According to Gullit, after a poor performance at the beginning of the season, De Jong has been one of the players with the most significant development alongside Flick.

"Frenkie (De Jong) has shown great progress. I criticized him when he was just a backup midfielder. In the key moments of the season, he has played a key role in Barca's system again," Gullit told Sport.

Another player who has risen at Barca is Szczesny. He willingly annulled his retirement status last October at Juventus to join Barca as a free player. In fact, the farewell ceremony held by Juventus did not diminish the abilities of the Polish goalkeeper in the slightest.

The record of 13 clean sheets from 30 appearances since January 2025 proves Szczesny to be a suitable replacement for Ter Stegen, who suffered a serious injury at the beginning of this season. An average save rate of 62 percent per match indicates that the 35-year-old goalkeeper is not yet ready to hang up his gloves.

Szczesny's current contract will expire on June 30, 2025. Due to his performance, Barcelona plans to offer a one-year contract extension with an additional one-year option. He could remain at Barcelona until the end of the 2026-2027 season.

However, he does not want to decide his future yet. For Szczesny, the main decision is not in his own hands. "I have to decide with my family for the best decision. My wife will be the decision maker, whether I stay or go to Marbella to play golf," said Szczesny jokingly as reported by Marca.