Hansi Flick talks Fermin, Ansu Fati, Szczesny and more after Barcelona’s 7-1 win over Valencia | OneFootball

Barcelona returned to winning ways in La Liga in an emphatic fashion as they secured a thumping 7-1 victory over Valencia.

Fermin Lopez was the star of the show as he bagged two goals and two assists, starring in Barcelona’s biggest win of the season so far.

Speaking to the media after the game, Hansi Flick was delighted with the team’s performance, as he notably hailed the likes of Fermin and Alejandro Balde.

Hansi Flick’s post-match thoughts

When asked about Fermin’s performance, Flick admitted that he wishes to give more game time to players such as him.

“I would like to give all the players more minutes but that is not always possible. We have great players in midfield.

“Today, Fermin showed his strength and dynamism. He was present for the entire 90 minutes in defence and attack. He played brilliantly, showed his ability to be decisive and make the difference,” he said.

“I think he was man of the match. He deserved it because he was involved in so many goals and of course, he is a special player. He has a good finish and the dynamic he added today was amazing,” he added.

Another star performer on the night was Ferran Torres, who was a live wire in the entire match and even scored a goal in the first half.

“I was very happy with him today but I think he could have scored two or three more goals. That’s his job and he’s shown he can do that. That’s his strength.

“It’s important to always prove that and it was the right decision for him to play as a No. 9 today. But he also knows he can score more goals,” he said.

Flick was also asked about Alejandro Balde, with reporters asking him about similarities to Alphonso Davies.

“I have to think about it seriously because how to deal with him is not easy. Balde is a player who needs confidence, and at the moment, his performances are amazing. He has improved a lot, and I like what I see.

“But I think he has much more potential and can do even better. When you see him under pressure and how he deals with situations, it is beautiful to see,” he said.

A strong outing for FC Barcelona (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“He can definitely improve, not only in defence but also in attack, in passing and even scoring goals. He is a fast player and in great form at the moment, but he needs to prove himself in every training session and also in every game,” he added.

Flick went on to heap praise on his players for producing a strong show despite all the changes made in the starting eleven.

“To see the players perform like this, regardless of their previous participation, is great. We have a strong team and I think this performance should be a starting point to continue playing at this level,” he said.

The German tactical also explained his decision to rotate the squad, citing some freshness that was required on the pitch.

“We discussed it with the staff and we thought it was very important that we needed some new players on the pitch. It was nice to see that because we started the game with a lot of focus from the start.

“The goals we scored were also really good. For me it was a perfect game because we saw a lot of positive things from players who don’t usually play a lot, so it was a perfect game,” he said.

Regarding the decision to sub in Pablo Torre ahead of Gavi, the German added, “When the two were warming up, Gavi told me it would be better for Torre to play and not him.”

Flick, meanwhile, addressed one more key decision: Wojciech Szczesny starting ahead of Inaki Pena in between the sticks.

“When I say a strength for Szczesny it doesn’t mean a weakness for Inaki, they are both fantastic. We saw that the levels are very close and sometimes it’s just a feeling or whatever. So we have to make the decision.

“That’s my job, and that’s also the job of the coaches who we talk about it with. And of course, they are both fantastic goalkeepers. We decided that Szczesny would start today and I think it was the right decision,” he said.

When asked about Barcelona’s starting goalkeeper in the coming future, Flick remained coy.

“What I said before the game was that with Szczesny we didn’t lose a game. For me, that’s very important. I know it’s not the best situation for Iñaki, but that’s part of football.

“I don’t know. I think it will continue like this in the upcoming matches. But this is football, everything depends on the performance and the team. We think about which player gives the team the strength it needs, and that’s how we decided,” he said.

Regarding the performance of the team overall, Flick added, “For me, it’s a good situation. I’d rather be in that situation than have just 11 players and always play with them. We have a very good team and today they showed that.”

Revival of Frenkie de Jong finally coming through? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Flick went on to address the future of two key players who have been linked with a move away from Barcelona this month: Eric Garcia and Ansu Fati.

While Garcia started against Valencia, Fati was an unused substitute. Flick, to that end, confirmed that he wants Garcia to stay while remaining coy about the latter’s future at the club.

“I want him to stay. He’s a very important player. I know he wants to play more, but he played well today and showed how good he is,” he said when asked about Garcia.

Regarding the future of Fati, Flick stated, “I don’t have any new information. We spoke and I think he wants to stay, if that’s the case then that’s good but, like with other players, they have to prove themselves and perform when they get the chance.”

The Barcelona manager was asked whether or not he follows the philosophy of Johan Cruyff given how the team has played entertaining football this season while conceding many goals.

“I like this style. Of course, we don’t want to concede goals, but scoring goals is always a great pleasure,” he replied.

Barcelona’s win over Valencia also meant that the team has now reached 100 goals for the season. Flick, though, is not concerned about the statistics.

“Nothing, it’s good to put on a good show and today it was great for the fans. I think they enjoyed this win a lot, it’s nice to see them celebrate,” he said.

Finally, on the team’s performance, the German concluded, “The energy on the pitch was great from the start of the game. We started with the first goal, then we continued playing like that, and it was great to see that.“