English Premier League
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick refuses to discuss Jose Mourinho before Elche match
Hansi Flick declined to discuss Jose Mourinho’s appointment as Real Madrid manager when questioned about the club’s latest change in the dugout, insisting his focus was on Barcelona’s meeting with Elche.
Barcelona play Elche on Sunday evening in their second fixture of the new La Liga season. It will be their first match since their scheduled game against Athletic Club was postponed.
At his news conference on Saturday, Flick was asked for his thoughts on Mourinho taking charge at Real Madrid after Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa had each managed the club during the German’s three seasons at Barcelona.
The journalist referred to Flick’s success in winning the La Liga title in each of the past two seasons and suggested Mourinho had been appointed as Real Madrid’s “last resort” to challenge him.
Flick gave a pointed response, according to AS.
“Are we playing against Real Madrid tomorrow? No? Then please ask me about Elche,” he said.
The Barcelona manager instead turned his attention to a match he described as demanding, with Elche having already played twice this season compared with Barcelona’s single competitive outing.
“It’s our first game, while it will be their second. We will need to perform at 100% of our level. Anything less is not possible. It is important that we win tomorrow,” Flick said.
Barcelona’s previous fixture was the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Egyptian club Al Ahly, and Flick confirmed that players who completed the full 90 minutes in that game would have their workloads managed against Elche.
“It is normal that the players who played 90 minutes will not play. We have to manage it. It is not easy, but there are no excuses,” he said.
Flick also praised new arrival Rodri after the midfielder’s first days at Barcelona. The Germany coach said the player had already trained on the pitch and had made a positive impression within the squad.
“He has also trained on the pitch. We are happy to have him here. It is great. He is a leader, and his personality is excellent,” said Flick.
The comments came during a press conference dominated by questions about Barcelona’s opening match and the implications of Real Madrid’s decision to appoint Mourinho. Flick, however, made clear that the immediate priority was preparing his team for Elche rather than discussing a potential meeting with Real Madrid.
The report also carried a separate reference to Hamza, describing him as “brilliant but not my first choice”, alongside the suggestion that one question at the news conference was particularly difficult. The quoted discussion in the article, however, concerned Rodri and his early involvement with Barcelona.
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