German coach Hans Flick, the head coach of Barcelona, spoke at the press conference ahead of facing Newcastle United in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, highlighting the difficulty of the match and the condition of the team and young players.

Regarding the difficulty of the match, Flick said: "The match will not be easy, all teams in the Champions League want to show their best level, Newcastle is a fast team in transitions and very dangerous, and we must deliver a good performance."

About the team's journey from Bilbao to Newcastle, he added: "We had to set off at dawn to Vitoria because Bilbao airport was closed, we arrived at four in the morning, conducted a recovery session on Sunday at 12, then traveled on Monday, I think the planning was good."

On the political aspect and the interview with Xavi, he continued: "Xavi is the one who should talk about that, not me, I am only focused on the match, we are in a good hotel and excellent atmosphere, we came directly from Bilbao, surely after the match, you won't ask me about that."

Regarding the praise for young players, Flick continued: "Kouparsi, Lamin, Firmin, Bernal, the quality they possess is amazing, their game in Bilbao was great, seeing how Kouparsi defends is amazing, he executed a throw-in as if it were a corner kick, his level is like Lamin's, but in defense, he is 19 years old and can play at the highest imaginable level."

On defensive analysis and conceded goals, he explained: "I have coached two great teams, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and I enjoy every day, as we also score many goals, defense is the responsibility of the entire team, Marcus Rashford has returned strongly after his absence for days, and he is a good option for the team."

On the lessons learned from previous matches, he added: "We talked and analyzed the Metropolitano match honestly, we did not defend as a team as we wanted, and some players did not perform their defensive duties well, at home, everyone maintained the appropriate distances, and the pressure was applied at the right time, if you do not apply pressure, it is difficult to defend."

Regarding the strength of the English Premier League and the team's readiness, he said: "The English Premier League is the best league in the world, amazing, they have a lot of money and can make many decisions, we are also strong like them and we must play with our philosophy and show it to the world."

He continued: "Newcastle plays well, they will press man-to-man, and they are fast in attack, we must defend with pride and courage, both matches are important, and we saw that against Atletico Madrid in the cup, we must be careful and we will do that."

On the relationship with Xavi, Flick said: "We are colleagues in the profession and have a good relationship, I visited him and we met, but this is a personal matter, I know the truth and will keep it to myself, and I will not say it here."