The story behind Barcelona’s physical transformation this season – three key figures responsible | OneFootball

Barcelona have enjoyed a fine campaign under the leadership of Hansi Flick, despite the recent topsy-turvy results.

The Catalans have looked better in every possible aspect compared to last season and have been most importantly, performing brilliantly against top teams, including Real Madrid.

A key highlight of Flick’s Barcelona has been the way the team has prepared physically for each and every game.

Barça’s physical transformation under Flick

As reported by Alex Pintanel, much of Barcelona’s physical revolution can be attributed to a series of strategic hires and the expertise of Flick.

After facing criticism over the players’ physical condition and the number of injuries last season, the club made significant changes that have evidently paid off.

Those changes included the arrival of Julio Tous, a Barcelona native, who returned to the club to work with Flick.

Julio Tous has been key for Barcelona (Photo courtesy: FC Barcelona)

Previously working with Antonio Conte across various clubs like Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter, Tous is renowned for his innovative approach to physical preparation and injury prevention.

Tous’ work in the gym has been crucial in changing the team’s physical output, enabling players to maintain high-performance levels throughout the match.

This is a stark contrast to last season when fatigue seemed to set in around the 60th minute, as noted by club president Joan Laporta.

Pepe Conde and German Fernandez: Two other key enablers

Other than Julio Tous, Pepe Conde, too, has had a great impact on Barcelona’s physical preparation this season.

A close friend of Sergio Ramos, Conde specialises in rehabilitation and experience with high-profile athletes.

Conde’s connection with the team has added a positive atmosphere within the Barcelona dressing room. He is always quite observant and can easily sense a player’s physical problem.

Under his guidance, the team has shown fewer injuries and a sustained intensity throughout games.

Pedri’s injury woes a thing of the past now. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

German Fernandez, meanwhile, has been instrumental in the physical resurgence of key player Pedri, whose frequent injuries had been a concern:

With a background from Udinese, Fernandez’s work in rehabilitation has seen Pedri return to peak condition, playing without injury this season for the first time in years.

His methodologies focus on daily prevention work, which Julio Tous emphasized as essential for reducing the average number of injuries per player per season.

To put it simply, Tous, German and Conde working together in tandem has resulted in greater physical health for Barcelona players, which in turn, has positively impacted their performances on the pitch.