FC Barcelona are set to welcome Athletic Bilbao to the Spotify Camp Nou in La Liga. The game will mark the Catalan club’s return to their permanent home after two and a half seasons away at the stadium on Montjuïc.
Barcelona finished La Liga on a high note just before the international break with an impressive 4–2 win over Celta Vigo, led by a Robert Lewandowski hat-trick. They will hope to build on the momentum and take three points against Ernesto Valverde’s side.
Ahead of the game, Flick spoke on multiple topics in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. When asked about the return to the Camp Nou, he said:
“We all want to return home. The opponent is having a very good season, and it’s a great opportunity to measure where we are. We obviously prefer to play at the Spotify Camp Nou. We saw it in the open training session; it was an incredible feeling. It’s a football stadium and that’s what we love, but we’ll see. I think it can give us great support in the match because the fans are close and know the team needs that help. They always support us, and it’s beautiful to see that unity between the team and the fans.”
Flick then spoke about Lamine Yamal’s current physical condition. He said:
“He has worked very hard over these two weeks, that’s all I can say. I can’t say he’s finished recovering; he goes up and down, and he’s managing it well and working with the staff.”
The German manager was then asked about Raphinha and Rashford, and he confirmed that the latter was a doubt for the game. He continued:
“Marcus has a fever and missed training yesterday and today, and I have doubts about whether he can play tomorrow. But the good news is that Raphinha will be back, and we’ll see tomorrow what he can give us. Ten, fifteen minutes… We’ll see. But it’s a big step that he’s back.”
Flick was then asked about Lamine’s injury and the situation with the RFEF during the international break. He said:
“Right now we’re focused on the club. There are nine matches ahead that we want to win, and we’re focused on that. It’s our job, and we won’t think about other things or outside noise. We play tomorrow and I’m happy.”
“Lamine is our player, and we care about him just as the federation does. It’s a good decision that he didn’t play the two matches because it has been a big step for him to manage that injury properly.”
The Barcelona manager was then asked about the pressure they could put on Real Madrid if they win the early game on Saturday. He said:
“We take it game by game, that’s what we want to do. We know the road is long and, as we did last season, we must never doubt what we want to do and how we want to play. We know Madrid are a great rival, but there are others like Villarreal or Atlético, they’re fantastic teams. It’s about that. We have to look at ourselves and give our best in every match.”
Flick also kept his cards close to his chest on whether Pedri would be involved against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He said:
“I don’t know, step by step. We’re not putting pressure on him, but he’s working well and his progress is good. We’re happy, and we hope he can return soon. I don’t know if it will be against Chelsea or not, we’ll see.”
The German manager, however, had no hesitation in revealing that Joan Garcia would be a starter for Barcelona against Athletic Club. He said:
“Starter tomorrow? Yes, you are correct.”
Flick was then asked whether he would love the opportunity to coach Lionel Messi. He was witty with his answer:
“Why not coach him? Messi is the best player of the last ten years. I’ve always enjoyed watching him play football, and he would be perfect for any team. His contract ends in 2028 and mine in 2027, so it’s not a topic to discuss.”
The former Bayern Munich manager was then quizzed about the plan to replace Frenkie de Jong, who is suspended against Athletic Club. He said:
“We know how we want to replace De Jong’s absence; you will see tomorrow. Frenkie, the same as Pedri, are two great players who give us a lot of confidence, but we have to manage this absence, and I think we will do well.”
Finally, the media tried to get something out of Flick by asking him who would take the honorary kick-off. The German kept a poker face and said:
“The honorary kick-off? I have no idea.”
A return to the Spotify Camp Nou is a gigantic occasion for the club, its players, and its fans, and let us hope Barcelona can emerge from the game against Athletic Bilbao with three points to their name. Only time will tell how it plays out.
