Hansi Flick, FC Barcelona’s head coach, expressed his excitement ahead of the reopening of the new Spotify Camp Nou, 909 days after the last match was played at the stadium.
The Blaugrana return to the stadium with a La Liga clash against Athletic Club in under an hour, with Flick naming the starting lineup for the match, which included some surprises.
And, speaking to the broadcasters before the match, the German coach acknowledged the “emotion” he feels at being Barça’s manager on such a meaningful day for the club.
“My dream has always been to coach Barça here, and that’s why I’m so excited,” he said with a smile.
The Barcelona manager also talked about the squad for the game, that included the returns of Joan Garcia and Raphinha, coupled with the absences of key players like Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Marcus Rashford.
The Brazilian explained the decision not to include Raphinha in the starting lineup, saying: “Raphinha is ready to get back on the field, playing around 20 minutes.”
He further justified the decision to start Eric Garcia as the defensive midfielder by saying he needed “a player with his characteristics”, given the unavailability of the injured Pedri and the suspended De Jong.
Even so, Flick made it clear that Barça “will need to be at their best to beat a fantastic team like Athletic.”
He emphasised that for Barcelona supporters, “it’s important to be here”, in the new Spotify Camp Nou, even if the stadium is reopening with a limited capacity of 45,000.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
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