News Focus
- Hansi Flick wants to hire a new fitness coach for Barcelona this summer
- Several key stars including Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal faced injury problems this season
- Players reportedly complained to Flick about current fitness chief Julio Tous
- The German manager is looking at former national team colleagues for the role
- Thiago Alcantara’s future as assistant coach remains uncertain
Hansi Flick is preparing to expand his coaching team at Barcelona this summer. The German manager wants extra support after seeing his squad struggle with injuries throughout the campaign.
Changes made to the fitness department last year have not worked well. During this season, several important stars have faced physical setbacks. Raphinha, Pedri, Joan Garcia, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Lamine Yamal have all dealt with fitness issues at different times.
Back in 2024, the club brought in Julio Tous and Raul Martinez to lead the fitness and physio departments. This move worked well at first, with fewer injuries and better player condition. But last summer, club advisor Alejandro Echevarria gave Tous complete charge of these operations. The squad has not welcomed this change.
Reports from March claimed that players complained about Tous and asked Flick to limit his role. According to Catalunya Radio, Flick wants to solve these problems. He does not want to fire Tous. Instead, he hopes to bring in another fitness expert to help manage the department. Flick is looking at former colleagues from his Germany national team days for this job. He wants to get his players back to full fitness.
The fitness team is not the only area facing changes. Thiago Alcantara has not decided if he will stay as a coach next season. Also, match expert Dr. Stephan Nopp has told the club he will leave this summer for personal reasons. Flick now needs to rebuild parts of his backroom team as well as his playing squad.