Flick: Happy with Barcelona's squad, team comes first

Hans Flick, the head coach of Barcelona, confirmed his satisfaction with the team's roster ahead of the match against Rayo Vallecano, emphasizing that the most important thing for him is to work with the available players. He also addressed several issues concerning the team during the press conference held before the match.

Regarding his satisfaction with Barcelona's squad, Flick said: "Yes, I am happy, and we do not feel the pressure. Deco has done a great job. For me, things are good; as a coach, the most important thing is to work with the players we have."

Regarding Dominik Livaković's role, he added: "We are happy with him, I am very pleased to have a goalkeeper with experience. We signed him with the future in mind."

Flick spoke about Frenkie de Jong's situation and the possibility of surgery: "It's important to handle this day by day. We have a long season ahead and many matches to play. He's a fantastic player, and I'm happy to have him in the team. We need to manage the playing minutes of all players, especially after the World Cup. We must control the minutes. Everyone wants to play, but the team comes first, not me or the players."

Regarding Jesse Bessio's role, Flick said: "He is training with us and will play with Barcelona Athletic, he has great potential, but it’s not easy, and he will continue to develop in training."

Regarding the Ballon d'Or, he explained: "It's not my job to campaign for it, of course I have very good players in my team. I'm not a fan of these awards; when the team succeeds, the chances of winning these awards increase. In Spain, there are very good players, but it's not easy to choose just one."

Regarding Barcelona's ability to compete for all titles, he added: "In a season, many things can happen, everyone has the desire, and now we must play as a team, we need to have team spirit, and then things can happen. The atmosphere we are experiencing here is amazing, and we must continue in this way no matter how many great players we have."

Flick continued his discussion about Raphinha and his role as a forward, saying: "As a forward, he always starts the pressing, and that is very good. He is our leader, and when he initiates the press with his energy, it’s fantastic, especially due to his ability to score. There are other players who can play in this position during different phases of the match."

Regarding Hamza Abdel Karim, Flick stated: "It's not always easy to give opportunities to players who deserve them like him. He has had a great preparation period and is improving every day in training, scoring goals, and has a good attitude and a special mentality. He deserves to play, and we want to give him the chances to show his quality."

Regarding Bryan Ferran and his options concerning Rodri, Flick explained: "Rodri has had some issues over the past few days, but he has improved and can start, though we will decide tomorrow. As for Bryan, he surprised me during the preparation period; he is a great talent with a fantastic commitment, and he can play in several positions. It's wonderful to see how much he has developed. It's not easy for him due to the presence of outstanding players in his position, but he deserves to play."

Regarding the possibility of signing a new defender, he said: "We are always assessing what can be done and we will see until the last day of the transfer market. As for Álvaro Cortés, he has taken a step forward, but at his age, it’s better for him to play at a high level, perhaps in Belgium, so he can develop. For him, spending another year with the reserve team is not an option; it’s best for him to move to another club."

Regarding the continuation of the transfer market after three rounds of the league, Flick simply stated: "I cannot change that."

Flick concluded his remarks by addressing Lamine Yamal's situation, stating: "It's good to see the player smiling, but it doesn't always have to be that way. Lamine participated in the World Cup, then returned after three weeks off. His match against Elche wasn't his best, but he worked hard for the team, and I was very happy with him. Against Athletic Bilbao, he played 90 minutes, and it was great to see him regain his best form again. He has been excellent in training; we need to support him, and that's what we want to see from him."