Barcelona President Joan Laporta fires back at Xavi, claiming Hansi Flick is winning with the same players who struggled last season. Read the full story.
Hansi Flick Transforming Barcelona: Joan Laporta Defends Squad Quality Following Xavi’s Departure (Image Source: X)
Barcelona President Joan Laporta finally spoke up about the team’s turnaround since Hansi Flick took over, and he didn’t hold back. At a press conference on Monday, Laporta pointed out something hard to miss: these are the same players who looked lost at the end of Xavi Hernandez’s time in charge, but now they’re on fire and leading La Liga.
Laporta gave a lot of credit to Flick for shaking things up, especially when it comes to how the team trains and sticks to a plan on the field. And you can read between the lines, when Xavi complained about not having enough quality in the squad, Laporta clearly thinks the real problem was how the team was managed, not the players themselves.
| Category | Hansi Flick Era (2025/26) | Xavi Hernandez Era (Late 2024) |
| La Liga Position | 1st | 3rd |
| Goals Per Game | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| Clean Sheets | 14 | 8 |
| Injury Rate | Significantly Lower | High |
At the press conference, Laporta took the question of the summer transfer plan as well as the team shortage pointed out in the press seriously. The President did not change his mind and said that coach Flick has brought out the best in the La Masia players and the veterans who are stars without an entire restructuring.
"The same players that some said were not good enough are now winning and playing beautiful football. Hansi Flick does not look for excuses. He looks at the talent we have and works to make them the best in the world. We are seeing a Barcelona that is physically superior and mentally tougher."
Hansi Flick’s impact has been huge. Since he showed up, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal have both taken their games to another level. You can see it in how much more dangerous they look. Flick really pushes for aggressive pressing and wants the team moving forward fast, and it’s turned the midfield around. Last season, that group felt stuck in slow motion—now, they’re buzzing again.
