Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, has attributed Barcelona’s recent success to a more direct style of play, which he attributes to Hansi Flick. Ancelotti talked about how Flick’s arrival has changed Barcelona’s mindset, combining aggression and accuracy on the field, ahead of the highly anticipated El Clasico.
Since taking over as Barcelona’s head coach, Flick has changed the team’s style from the conventional tiki-taka to a fast-paced, high-press game with an aggressive mentality. This was demonstrated by Barcelona’s convincing 4-1 Champions League victory over Bayern Munich, which highlighted how well Flick’s strategies worked.
Ancelotti Appreciates Flick’s Novel Strategy
Speaking about the tactical development, Ancelotti said:
“The team plays differently and much more directly; the philosophy has altered a bit. Since I think Xavi accomplished an amazing job with Barcelona in his own style, I don’t want to compare the two pieces of work. We frequently labored and fell short against Barcelona under Xavi. As much as we admire Xavi’s Barcelona, this one is a little different.”
Ancelotti’s remarks reveal a deep understanding of the difficulties presented by Flick’s Barcelona, a new and unexpected iteration of the Blaugranas prepared to face Real Madrid, as El Clasico approaches.
