"If he waits for it...": Kick-off cancelled at short notice: Flick mocked even before first Barca training

EXPRESS "If he waits for it...": Kick-off cancelled at short notice: Flick mocked even before first Barca training Béla Csányi (bc) • 4 hours • 2 minutes reading time After almost a year without a job, Hansi Flick (59) is back to work fresh at FC Barcelona. In Catalonia, however, the former national coach realized on his first day of work with the team: If you want to survive in the turbulent Barca environment, you need strong nerves and a thick skin. On Wednesday (July 10, 2024), the new coach expected his team at the training ground of the 27-time Spanish champions for the first medical tests and an opening session. In the end, however, the day turned out to be shorter than feared for the squad, which was still significantly thinned out due to the European Championship. Hansi Flick gives his stars a day off due to the heat at the start Flick postponed the first gallop in his new home until the next day. A quick glance at the bright blue sky, a quick check of the weather app - and the Barca stars had a day off in temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius! "The German coach has decided to cancel today's late session due to the high temperatures. The start will be this Thursday at 9.30 a.m.," wrote the sports paper "AS" in the early afternoon. In principle, it is commendable that Flick was concerned about the well-being of his players - but in his new working reality, such a work ethic could quickly become a problem. And that is exactly what many football fans criticized Flick for on social media. In Barcelona, ​​temperatures above 30 degrees are not uncommon well into the autumn. “Has anyone told him what a summer in Spain is like?” asked a Barca fan on X in surprise, adding with concern: “Otherwise we won’t train until October.” “He’s really going full throttle,” mocked another user, while another wrote: “If he waits for it to get as cold as it is in Germany, he’ll never be able to get going.” The decision was of course also a welcome gift for the fans of arch-rivals Real Madrid. “Does he know that he’s landed in Spain?” joked one Royal supporter. Another suggested: “They should move their preseason training to Greenland.” The cancellation of training also surprised many of those Barca fans who had hoped for more intensity under new management. The fact that Flick had originally scheduled several double sessions in his first week was received with favor by those around him. “They’ll work more this week than they have in previous years,” one fan commented on the original training plan. Another even speculated: "Double training: There will be a hail of sick notes." Instead of the yellow cards, however, there was a grace period on Wednesday.