The ball is in your roof, Hansi

Hansi Flick's face contrasts sharply with his look from a year ago, when he uttered the famous phrase “Egos kill success”. He is smiling after having kicked off the League with three victories and good footballing sensations.

The start of the season was daunting after the demands of the World Cup, but the players are responding to doubts beyond expectations. One of the best surprises has been seeing how, without Lewandowski, Ferran, or Julián, Raphinha has reinvented himself as a 9. He is doing it so well that when Deco pulled the unexpected signing of Gabriel Jesus out of his hat, one felt like telling him: “It doesn't matter that he only costs 10 million, he's no longer needed”.

The thing is, we all know the movie is very long and that price makes him an excellent solution with very little risk. The consensus regarding Barça's good transfer market now shifts the focus to the coach's domain.

Flick faces his Year 3 with even clearer ideas about what he wants. Last season was very tough due to injuries and some self-inflicted wounds that did not help in being competitive, especially in the Champions League. Despite the difficulties, he managed to pull through and led the team to retain the League title in the face of Real Madrid.

Strengthened by a locker room that believes in him, the coach has taken a step forward to have more control over the daily work at the Sports City, which conditions what we see on the pitch. The big change has been the restructuring of the physical preparation area, moving Julio Tous away from the first team and betting on a figure of his trust: Benjamin Kugel. This tweak, which may go unnoticed behind the big headlines of the signings, is as key as who will play as 9. It is a move that shows that Flick, finally, has more decision-making power.

For the moment, this Flick who has earned the right to have enough room to maneuver to do as he pleases is already reaping the fruits after three matchdays. The spirit that the team transmits is very different from that of a year ago in Vallecas and has even surprised the technical staff, who expected this level after the September break.

The race is a long-distance one, but through the cracks of the Camp Nou, you can hear the wind whispering “Champions, Champions…”. The first to set it as a goal is the German, who does not want to leave Barcelona without having gifted the fans the most prized title. The way he has taken the helm of the ship invites us to start dreaming. Hansi, the ball is in your court. And the pressure of the club, too.