Hansi Flick celebrated his 100th victory as Barcelona manager in style, reaching the milestone in just 131 matches. That puts him ahead of Luis Enrique, who needed 126 games, but behind Jack Greenwell (136), Pep Guardiola (139) and Helenio Herrera (142). Not a bad record for the German coach, who has already won six trophies during his time at the club: two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups.
Adding to that trophy haul requires victories like the emphatic 6-1 win over Alavés — exactly the kind of response Flick had called for ahead of the match following defeats to PSG (4-2) and Real Madrid (2-1).
“I’m extremely satisfied. We dominated the first half and created chances by exploiting the spaces. I really liked what I saw. We played well,” the German coach said.
Flick had anticipated that Alavés would sit deep, and he was particularly pleased with how his side dealt with the challenge.
“Alavés defended very well and had a lot of players behind the ball. We knew they would be dangerous on the counter, but we controlled the game. We managed to exploit the pockets of space they left us, and that was very good.”
Asked about Frenkie de Jong making his debut at centre-back and whether he could feature there again, Flick explained: “We have a lot of absentees in defence, and we don't know when they will return.”
He also praised debutant Brian Fariñas: “I asked Frenkie and Brian whether they could play there, and I’m grateful for their efforts. Brian deserved his chance because of his professionalism and the work he has put in during training. He performed well and combined really nicely with Lamine.”
On Lamine Yamal, who scored twice, Flick revealed that he had spoken to the youngster “at half-time” and praised him for rediscovering “his confidence in one-on-one situations.”
“It was important for him to get some rest, and he was fantastic. That’s exactly what I wanted to see, from him, as well as Fermín and Raphinha, after the two defeats.”
Reflecting on his 100 victories as Barcelona manager, Flick was reluctant to dwell on the milestone, although he could not hide his smile.
“I don’t usually look back, but I’m very happy. The best match? Winning our first Clásico in Madrid was special. I remember it fondly, and this result will be good for the weeks ahead.”
Flick also explained why he substituted Pedri at half-time: “He had a yellow card, and there was no need to take any risks.”
As for Rodrigo Hernández playing the full 90 minutes and Gavi not getting on the pitch, the Barcelona manager clarified: “Initially, we had Rodri, Frenkie and Fermín in mind as possible substitutions, but then we decided to do something different.”
The Barça boss has already turned his attention to next week's fixtures against Aston Villa and Atlético Madrid. However, Flick is taking things one game at a time.
“First, we have to face Aston Villa. We’re playing at home, and the Champions League is always a special competition with a unique character. We only have two days to recover after today's match, so our entire focus is now on getting the players back to full fitness. After that, we’ll start preparing for Aston Villa.”
However, Flick remained cautious about the possibility of having Jules Koundé, Eric García and Andreas Christensen back for next week's games.
“We don't know anything yet. Their recovery is progressing well, but we're not in the best situation. We have to get through these two matches. I hope to get one or two of them back. Christensen is close to rejoining the group, but then there's the international break, and we won't take any risks because we need these players for the rest of the season.”