Hans Flick, Barcelona's coach, confirmed in the press conference held today ahead of facing Racing Santander in the Round of 16 of the King’s Cup, that the team is fully prepared for the challenge, pointing out the difficulty of facing a young and brave team.

Flick said about the opposing team: "It is a young and brave team, I liked what I saw, the pressure on the field will be natural, and we must be ready."

He added regarding the recent win over Real Madrid: "We must enjoy these moments because everything changes quickly, and I am very happy with what is happening, the people in Barcelona are very kind to me and my team, and I love experiencing this, that is why we work hard every day. We won the first title, but we must think about what is next. Tomorrow will be an important match against an opponent who beat Villarreal, who is third in the league. When you are a player at Barcelona, you must give everything on the pitch."

Flick continued about the goalkeeping situation, saying: "Are we excluding Ter Stegen? We will decide tomorrow, currently there is nothing else to say."

He clarified about João Cancelo’s participation: "I think he can play for a few minutes in Santander, we plan to give him some minutes."

He pointed to the nature of coaches’ work and their decisions: "This is part of football and we cannot change it. The club must trust you as well as the team. Whoever makes decisions must do so, and Real Madrid did that, but it is not my concern. The coach’s job is very difficult, we have many responsibilities, but it is part of our work and we must live with it."

Regarding president Laporta’s trust in him, he added: "In the end, you never know what will happen, things change, and this can happen here as well. Football depends on victories, especially in big clubs. From day one, I felt we work together as one family, and that is what the president said, not just the players but also the staff, management, parents, and siblings. We are a big family and I appreciate what we have built. I felt that in Saudi Arabia and it was a wonderful experience, and I greatly appreciate that culture."

Flick commented on the dismissal of Xabi Alonso: "This is part of football and not my concern. I have a good relationship with Alonso, we met in Leverkusen and have stayed in touch since then. I wish him the best, and surely he will have a big project soon for himself and his technical team. Football goes on, he is a great coach with a promising future."

He continued about the goalkeeping options: "I have all options, I think Juan Garcia will participate, but we will see tomorrow."

He also explained Cancelo’s role in the team: "In Saudi Arabia, we decided what we need now. We are fine with Koubarsi, Eric, and Araujo’s return. Gerard can play in different positions, and we thought about someone who can give us more, and João was great and can add a lot, especially in attack and in the final third to surpass the opponent. He is a good option in this regard."

About Araujo, he said: "We have not yet decided if he can play a few minutes tomorrow. We have one day left and some players are tired, so we have 24 hours to think and make the final decision, but he is training and can play a few minutes, there will be no problem."

Regarding Real Madrid’s new coach, Arbeloa, Flick said: "I will watch when we play against them, I will have time to watch then."