Barcelona manager Hansi Flick had a very Hansi Flick reaction to the news that his team will face Newcastle in the Champions League Round of 16.
The coach spoke to the press just minutes after the draw on Friday, and the big takeaway is the fact that Barça are in the side of the bracket that avoids almost all of the European powerhouses and perceived favorites for the trophy, and Flick was asked if he was happy to avoid PSG and in theory get a more favorable path to the Final.
Flick’s answer is exactly
what you’d expect:
“I’m not celebrating that we didn’t draw PSG. Every game is important and never easy, this is the Champions League. Newcastle have a fantastic team, we saw it in their last games but also when we played there, so it’s not easy. For me, it’s always about respect for the opponent. Everyone wants to reach the final, including us, but Newcastle are also looking for that.
“All the Champions League teams are very good and have great quality. Playing against Atlético or Tottenham if we get through is also very difficult. It’s fantastic to have this opportunity, but we have to respect all the teams.“
And Hansi is absolutely right to approach not only Newcastle but all the other possible opponents with the maximum amount of respect. Barça haven’t been anywhere near their best in Europe this season and are still picking up the pieces after a couple of awful results recently, and they don’t have a lot of time to fix their issues as the first leg against Newcastle takes place in less than two weeks.
There’s no denying that Barça were lucky in the draw and will have a much easier path than the likes of PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City or Real Madrid, but there truly is no easy game in the Champions League, and Barça still need to prove they can rise to the occasion in that competition this season.
