Nagelsmann praises Hansi Flick’s work at Barcelona: ‘The team developed perfectly’

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has paid glowing tribute to Hansi Flick and Barcelona, insisting the Catalan side’s progress under his predecessor has been “perfect” and suggesting their Champions League exit came down to misfortune rather than shortcomings.

Speaking ahead of Germany’s World Cup clash with Ivory Coast in Toronto, Nagelsmann was in relaxed spirits after his side’s emphatic 7-1 victory over Curaçao.

The 38-year-old coach, who succeeded Flick at Bayern Munich and later with the German national team, spoke warmly about his compatriot and long-time colleague.

Admiration for Flick’s work

Asked about the influence of German coaches such as Jurgen Klopp and Flick, Nagelsmann preferred not to reveal tactical details but was more than happy to praise Barcelona’s development.

“We have many very good German coaches, as you mention with Jurgen and Hansi,” Nagelsmann said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Flick has done an excellent job at Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Continuing, he added: “I think the Barcelona team developed perfectly; they had bad luck in the Champions League, they had that red card (against Atletico) and it complicated their chances of advancing to the next round.

“But they were champions again in Spain and they did brilliantly,”

Nagelsmann’s comments referred to Barcelona’s controversial quarter-final defeat to Atletico Madrid, a tie marked by the dismissals of Pau Cubarsi in the first leg and Eric Garcia in the return match.

Following in Flick’s footsteps

Nagelsmann’s career has mirrored Flick’s in several ways. He took over at Bayern Munich when Flick left the club in 2021, and two years later replaced him as Germany coach following the end of his spell with the national side.

Nagelsmann replaced Flick at Bayern and Germany NT. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Despite being one of the most highly regarded young managers in world football, Nagelsmann was reluctant to discuss tactical concepts in detail, joking that some ideas should remain confidential.

“Regarding discussing tactical matters, I’m not sure if he wants me to do this because it could be a secret for him,” he said.

“And, it should also be a secret for the future, and now is not the time, let another coach talk about technical things,” Nagelsmann added.

For Nagelsmann, Barcelona’s domestic success under Flick was no accident. In his eyes, the Blaugrana have evolved exactly as intended under his compatriot, with only unfortunate circumstances preventing them from enjoying an even bigger season in Europe.