“Physically you have to push harder” – Barcelona Star Lamine Yamal Opens Up on Life Under Hansi Flick

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has disclosed what it is like to play under 2019-20 Treble-winning coach Hansi Flick. The Spaniard has said that although Flick demands a lot more physically, the team is enjoying playing under him.

Hansi Flick Has Taken Barcelona to the Top of the La Liga Rankings

After he failed to lead Barcelona to a trophy in 2023-24, president Joan Laporta and the board made the difficult decision of sacking club legend Xavi. The Blaugrana brought in Flick as his replacement — the manager who was in charge of Bayern Munich during their historic 8-2 routing of Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the 2019-20 season.

Flick’s heavy-metal playing style is different from Xavi’s, with the German preferring to progress the ball with considerably fewer touches. Initially, there was skepticism about his system but that has evaporated in the last couple of months, with Barcelona emerging as the strongest team in La Liga. So far, the Catalans have won eight of their nine matches, amassing 24 points and sitting three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish top-flight rankings.

They did lose their first game in the UEFA Champions League (2-1 to AS Monaco) but bounced back with a convincing 5-0 victory over Young Boys.

Lamine Yamal Enjoying Life Under Hansi Flick

Discussing what it is like to play under Flick, Yamal told RNE:

“We are having a lot of fun and it shows. Flick gives us freedom and it makes us very happy to keep adding three points at a time.

“It is true that physically you have to push harder but, when you recover quickly, your legs recover better. But it is true that the team is more physical than last year.”

Robert Lewandowski has seemingly benefitted the most from Flick’s arrival, with the Polish striker scoring 12 times in 11 games under his former Bayern coach.

On Lewandowski’s blistering form, Yamal added:

“Everything you give him, he scores. We are very happy for him. Hopefully, he will become top scorer.”

Yamal has also been in stellar form under Flick. The 17-year-old winger has played 11 games in all competitions, chipping in with five goals and five assists.