World Cup
Nagelsmann praises Flick’s Barcelona, cites bad luck
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann praised Hansi Flick’s work at Barcelona ahead of Germany’s World Cup match against Ivory Coast, noting the Catalan side’s “perfect” development. He highlighted Barcelona’s 7‑1 victory over Curaçao and their Champions League exit, which he attributed to bad luck rather than shortcomings.
Nagelsmann, 38, succeeded Flick at Bayern Munich in 2021 and later took over the German national team after Flick’s departure. His own career mirrors Flick’s in several ways, highlighting a shared coaching pathway.
When asked about the influence of German coaches such as Jurgen Klopp and Hansi Flick, Nagelsmann responded, “We have many very good German coaches, as you mention with Jurgen and Hansi,” as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. He declined to reveal tactical details, emphasizing respect for his colleagues.
Nagelsmann added, “I think the Barcelona team developed perfectly; they had bad luck in the Champions League, they had that red card (against Atletico) and it complicated their chances of advancing to the next round.” The red cards involved Pau Cubarsi in the first leg and Eric Garcia in the return match.
He noted that despite the European setback, Barcelona were champions again in Spain and performed brilliantly domestically. The quarter‑final defeat to Atletico Madrid was marked by the dismissals of Cubarsi and Garcia.
Regarding tactical discussions, Nagelsmann joked, “I’m not sure if he wants me to do this because it could be a secret for him,” and added that such matters should remain confidential. He said it was not the time for another coach to talk about technical issues.
The accompanying photo of Nagelsmann was taken by David Ramos. Another image showing Barcelona’s squad was captured by Alexander Hassenstein.