Rabat – Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has described being considered favorites for the major trophies this season as a “privilege,” insisting his players must remain focused despite their impressive start to the campaign.
Flick made the comments ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League league-phase meeting with Galatasaray in Istanbul, where Barcelona will look to extend their perfect start across all competitions.
“It is a big privilege for us to be in this situation,” Flick said when asked about the additional pressure that comes with being viewed among the leading contenders for every competition.
“We work hard every day, but it is still a long road until the end of the season, and we know that.”
The German coach stressed that Barcelona cannot afford to allow their early results to affect their mentality.
“We know that we have to stay focused and approach every match with the same mentality that we showed in the previous games,” he added.
Barcelona chasing 10th straight win
Barcelona travel to Turkey having won all nine of their competitive matches so far this season.
Flick’s side have opened their La Liga campaign with eight consecutive victories, matching the best start to a league season in the club’s history, while they also began their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 victory over Feyenoord.
For Flick, maintaining that run will depend on his players continuing to show the same attitude both with and without the ball.
“The important thing for me is that the team shows the spirit, mentality and intensity we need in every match,” he said. “And, of course, when we have the ball, we also have to keep believing in ourselves and play with the same confidence we have shown in the last nine matches.”
Barcelona will face a Galatasaray side looking to respond after losing 3-1 away to Sporting CP in their opening Champions League fixture.
The Catalan club will be without several players for the trip, with Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong and Roony unavailable through injury. Flick has named a 22-man squad for the match.
Tuesday’s game at RAMS Park is scheduled for 9 p.m. local time, or 7 p.m. GMT.
For Flick, however, Barcelona’s status as favorites matters less than sustaining the mentality that has carried them through the opening weeks of the season.
