Flick: Surprised by La Liga, and the Clasico is Still Far Away

Barcelona coach Hans Flick appeared in press statements after the 4-1 victory over Girona in the 29th round of La Liga.

The coach said: "What impressed you the most? The result. The three points and the enthusiasm we showed. Girona plays very well, and it is natural for them to cause us difficulties. There were also tired players, and the substitutions were successful."

Regarding Lewandowski: "He is a crucial and very important player. I spoke to him and told him he needs to score two goals... I don't know if it was a penalty or not... Players need to be motivated. I don't like to talk about individual players, but he is a special player. I spoke to him at the beginning of the season; we wanted to be clear about his role, status, and style of play... It's good for all players to see that the coach believes in them; all players need confidence, and the coach must give it to them. He is in excellent physical condition. He wants to be the 'Pichichi.' He wants to win. But the most important thing is the team. He also focuses on helping his teammates. For me, the team is the most important, and I have a feeling that everyone is progressing in this direction, which is great for me and helps us a lot; you can see that on the pitch. But I am also very happy for Ferran Torres. I think we performed wonderfully.

On scoring 139 goals in 45 matches: "For me, the most important thing was the three points. I am happy with the match. The defense was very strong, and the substitutions were very positive. There are tired players, and we didn't include them. We are happy with the decision.

On Rafinha's absence: "He feels a bit of discomfort. I spoke to him at halftime, and he told me he is not well. He will train tomorrow and the day after. We hope he will be ready for the next match."

He added: "What I like is that my players always aspire for more and want to score more... the attitude and mentality... are very impressive. Everyone loves that. Everyone wants to see more goals. Everyone is happy.

On Eric Garcia: "He was fantastic. He trains excellently. He is very professional. He has strong communication with the other players. He moves in different positions, which is very beneficial for us.

He noted: "Our performance has improved, and we are making fewer mistakes. When we have the ball, we need to keep it and create opportunities."

On Frenkie de Jong: "I spoke to him as soon as he arrived. He was suffering from a serious injury, but he has gradually improved. You can see how wonderful and brilliant he is. He is capable of dribbling, fast, and always good at passing... He is excellent. He always makes the right decision."

He added: "Real Madrid is a fantastic team, it must be mentioned, and Athletic Bilbao, and Rayo... I am very surprised by the high level of La Liga; we saw that also in Girona. We always look forward to the next match. We will fight until the end of the season to achieve everything we aspire to. I see the team focused. They dream, but they are determined in reality.

He continued: "There is still a long way to the Clasico; we need to show our strength. And they need to show their strength. This league may surprise us, and that is good for everyone.

He concluded: "My job is to ensure that everyone shows their brilliance. I appreciate everyone's support, starting with Deco... We want more opportunities. When I see everyone focused, engaged, in matches and training.