Flick: The clásico is the best match in football, and this is what we need to be wary of

Hans Flick, the head coach of FC Barcelona, spoke about the upcoming clash against Real Madrid in the El Clásico, expressing confidence in his players. He praised Portuguese coach José Mourinho and addressed the loss to Paris Saint-Germain and discussions about referees, during the press conference before the match.

Speaking about the clásico, Flick said: "The clásico is different; it is the best match our sport has to offer. Everyone will watch it; it’s amazing. You can only win three points, but it goes far beyond that. It’s great to be part of this encounter, and we are very excited for the match. We are ready and confident in the team."

Flick spoke about Mourinho: "I have great respect for him. When you coach for many years and achieve success, it is a testament to your talent. When I was an assistant to Joachim Löw, I met him in Madrid. Every player who has worked under him speaks of him with great respect. He is a colleague of mine and has achieved great success."

Regarding Paris Saint-Germain's loss, Barcelona's coach explained: "We talked to the players and analyzed what happened, we did a lot of good things, but there are situations we need to improve on, it's a good opportunity to develop and challenge ourselves as a team."

Regarding Firmino's comments on referees, he said: "I trust the referees, we are all part of the game, and it is important to protect each other, this is my point of view, and I do not want to talk about these matters."

Speaking about the match against Real Madrid, Flick added: "I expect to face a team that has great confidence. Real Madrid is a great club with top players, and they have a fantastic coach. They have players with great quality in the final third of the pitch, and they have proven that in recent matches. We need to be cautious and prepare well."

Regarding Jules Koundé and Dani Olmo, Flick confirmed: "Koundé will not be available, we do not want to take any risks, the timing is not ideal, but we have to accept it. As for Dani, he was going through a great period and was in top shape, but he suffered bad luck due to the nature of the injury. He is unhappy because he will miss several matches. We have Firmin and Olmo in this position, but we will miss him."

Regarding set pieces, Flick explained: "Real Madrid are one of the best teams in this aspect, and they are also very strong physically. We talked about it and trained for it; we need to defend better, and I hope we can prove that tomorrow."

Regarding Rodri, he said: "We always focus on ourselves and on the impact the player has within FC Barcelona. When the opportunity arose to sign him, we were all convinced that he would make the team better. He was an important piece that helped us take the next step, and we have seen that in the first matches. I am very happy to have him alongside Pedri; we now have a high level of quality in midfield, and everyone is happy with him."

Speaking about Xavi Espart, he said: "We know the nature of professional football, everything depends on performance. He has performed very well, and that is amazing. He still has room to develop and has great potential. So far, he is performing very well."

Regarding a plan to stop Mbappé, Flick explained: "The most important thing for us is our positioning, whether with the ball or without it. We must maintain appropriate distances between the lines and be cohesive; this is important when playing with a high defensive line. Koundé and Giraud are having a great season, and they complement each other well, as they are also developing together."

Flick concluded his statements by saying: "I prefer to focus on the match, and I am not concerned about other matters, I do not want to make headlines, but I want to focus on my team."