Hansi Flick opposed screening of Madrid derby within Barcelona camp | OneFootball

The night before Barcelona were supposed to take on SL Benfica in the Champions League, the players had the opportunity to witness the iconic ‘Euroderby’ between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

However, as reported by AS, Hansi Flick, who has previously admitted to not watching late-night matches, opted against screening the Madrid derby within the Barça camp on Tuesday night.

Flick unwavering in his philosophy

This is yet another reminder of Flick and his unwavering philosophy of not getting too involved with matters involving other teams.

Instead of organizing a collective viewing session, Flick gathered his squad for a team dinner at their hotel in Lisbon following their evening training session at Estadio da Luz.

While the German coach did not impose restrictions, he left it entirely up to the players whether they wanted to watch the game in the privacy of their rooms.

Some might have tuned in to Real Madrid’s narrow 2-1 victory, but Flick did not see any need for a group gathering to analyze the match.

Flick remains unwavering in his philosophy and approach (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

A different approach from Xavi

Flick’s philosophy contrasts sharply with that of his predecessor, Xavi Hernandez, who often encouraged such communal activities.

Xavi believed that watching games together helped strengthen team unity, frequently organizing these sessions to build camaraderie.

The current Barça coach, however, trusts his players’ professionalism and autonomy. He sees no need to enforce collective gatherings or introduce extra motivational challenges.

In fact, the report adds that Flick has done away with several traditions established by Xavi, including team challenges and rewards for match victories.

Needless to say, Flick’s moves have yielded positive results for Barcelona, who have emerged as one of the best-performing teams in Europe this season.