Hansi Flick already working on improving Barcelona star’s ball-playing skills | OneFootball

Almost every manager that has ever coached FC Barcelona has had their preferred profile of players. For the longest time, the ball-playing abilities and technical qualities of many of La Masia’s greatest prodigies pulled the reins at the club. Now, however, there seems to be a slight shift in terms of the philosophy at Barcelona.

While the basic levels of football in the youth categories follow the same order of the past, the first team of the Catalan giants has now started to follow the route of a certain German coach. Under Hansi Flick’s management so far, Barcelona have become a much more direct and efficient machine.

Reliant of power and speed to dismantle opponents in any given moment, the team has seen several different players be revived. However, in terms of defenders, there is one particular player whose return would be a great positive for Hansi Flick because of the kind of profile that player possesses.

Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo, who is now closer than ever to returning, would be the perfect blend of physicality, strength, and speed that Hansi Flick would like to have in one of his defenders. While Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi have their own unique talents to offer, Araujo just seems perfect on paper.

However, it is clear to acknowledge that his ball-playing abilities are not up to the level of the two Spaniards just mentioned. That is why, as highlighted by SPORT, that is one of the main areas in which Hansi Flick is working with the player to improve his skills in.

This weakness has been exploited by Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain in the past, and Hansi Flick wants the player and his team to learn from it apparently. For that reason, the German coach has been quite involved in the player’s recovery and reportedly considers him to become a key part of his project moving forward.

Time will tell how his performances reflect the kind of faith that is being put in him, but Araujo’s return following his initial injury in the summer is a great reason for celebration. Beyond just being one of the mainstays at the Catalan club, he also happens to be a Barcelona captain and his leadership within the team will be more than welcome.