The miracle of Hansi Flick

BarcelonaThe best way to recover from the Champions League elimination was to beat Real Madrid and make a near-definitive statement on the La Liga title. The victory is a collective one, but there's a mastermind on the bench who helps explain many things and how, in just a handful of months, the face and mentality of a team that fills fans with pride has changed. It's none other than Hansi Flick.

The German is "a normal man." That's how the club describes him. They emphasize his pleasant demeanor and his "hard-working" nature and his passion for "discretion." His signing was marked by the ups and downs he endured when he seemed to have secured the Barça manager's spot, only to see Xavi Hernández's continuation announced and him reluctantly accept the opportunity he had long desired: to be Barça's manager. Finally, in another twist, Deco and Bojan arranged for him to join a lightning trip to London in mid-May.

In June, he began working at the Ciudad Deportiva to lay the foundations for a project that has begun with a bang. With yesterday's victory, Hansi Flick became the first manager to win four Clásicos in a single season. Pep Guardiola had already achieved four consecutive victories, but not in the same season, but in consecutive seasons. In fact, under the Santpedor-born coach, five consecutive wins were achieved between 2008 and 2010, all in La Liga. 2-0, 2-6, 1-0, 0-2, and 5-0, the latter in José Mourinho's debut in charge. The Portuguese manager halted the run at the start of 2011, with a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu in La Liga and with the Whites' victory in the Copa del Rey final at Mestalla in 2011.

Flick's miracle is having won all four Clásicos in a row in a single season. This isn't the first time Barça have won four in a single campaign, but it has been the first time they've won four consecutively. The first time was in the 1982-1983 season, when Barça were coached by Udo Lattek and César Luis Menotti. The results were: 0-2, 2-1, 2-1, 2-2, and 2-1. This season, Barça have beaten Carlo Ancelotti's team by 0-4, 2-5, 3-2, and yesterday's 4-3 victory, at a Montjuïc stadium devoted to their team.

Hansi Flick: a happy man in Barcelona

"When you join a team, as a coach, you have goals, of course. And when you work for a club like Barça, which is used to winning titles, this is the objective. This journey that began last year isn't over. There are many things to improve, especially in defense, where we make mistakes. And we will do so for next season. Now we have to celebrate the victory, now we have to celebrate the victory, now we have to celebrate the victory, not only for the fans. The atmosphere here is fantastic," the coach said after the win.

Hansi Flick is a happy man in Barcelona, ​​where he enjoys leisurely strolls with his family, and Barcelona is happy with him. "Are we the most fun team in Europe? I don't know, sometimes I suffer... But I'm happy with how we do things," concluded the German who has brought joy back to Barcelona fans.