Hansi Flick is the leader Barcelona needed on and off the field

TL;DR

Hansi Flick has led Barcelona to five trophies in two seasons, outperforming Real Madrid, which has won none. He has also secured six victories in seven Clásicos against Madrid.

Key points

Hansi Flick has won five trophies with Barcelona.
Barcelona has outperformed Real Madrid under Flick.
Flick's Clásico record is six wins out of seven.
Performance against Real Madrid is a key measure for Barcelona managers.
Flick's success compares favorably to Pep Guardiola's record.

Mentioned in this story

Hansi FlickPep Guardiola

BarcelonaReal Madrid

A lot goes into being a good football coach.

There’s the tactics, which usually is the thing that gets people talking, but just as important is the man management, and the ability to control a dressing room.

Barcelona managers will always be measured, first and foremost, by what they accomplish relative to Real Madrid.

In Hansi Flick’s first two seasons in charge of the Blaugrana, he has won five trophies, while Los Blancos have won none. In head-to-head games, Flick was victorious in six out of seven Clásicos. For comparison, Pep Guardiola went five for seven.

There will be plenty of necessary talk over the summer about what’s needed to get Barcelona in a position to compete for a Champions League title. Pressure will be on the German manager to prove he can take the team to the next level. It’s fair, that’s how the modern game works at a club the size of FC Barcelona.

What has made Flick so special, however, was his stabilizing influence, at a time when Barca desperately needed it.

So many coaches before him have cracked under the pressure of coaching under the bright lights at the Camp Nou. For as good as Xavi was as a coach given the circumstances, even he had trouble staying cool in the face of media scrutiny, and the weight of expectations that culers have.

It’s not that Flick isn’t an emotional coach, he’s human after all. What he did so well was keeping his emotions in check, and channeling them into the moments that mattered. He has been a leader by example for his players.