Before the start of the season

“A wake-up call!” Flick already under pressure at Barca

Hansi Flick (right) and Monaco coach Adi Hütter at the Joan Gamper Tournament.

(Bild: AFP/APA/MANAURE QUINTERO)

Hansi Flick is already being criticized as FC Barcelona's new coach ahead of the first league game. "This is the first wake-up call", wrote the newspaper "Sport" after the 3-0 defeat in the Joan Gamper tournament against Monaco. "Mundo Deportivo" even ran the headline in capital letters: "WARNING". Doubts are growing as to whether Flick is the right man to knock Real Madrid off their throne. Especially as their arch-rivals with soccer megastar Kylian Mbappe appear to be almost invincible.

Other Spanish media are also not being squeamish about the Blaugrana these days. The specialist magazine "Don Balon" described Barcelona's performance on Monday evening as "ridiculous". The Madrid-based sports newspaper "AS", something of a Real Madrid house paper, spoke of a "disastrous performance", not without gloating.

Flick, on the other hand, assured that his charges would do better in the first LaLiga game on Saturday (9.30pm) in Valencia. Against Monaco, the team of Vorarlberg coach Adi Hütter, the successor to Barca legend Xavi Hernandez said that the pressing and passing game, among other things, had not worked. "I know how demanding this job can be," said former Bayern coach Flick. "I firmly believe that we are on the right path and want us to have fun together."

Yamal and Olmo should fix it
Teenager Lamine Yamal, who at the age of 17 was one of the most dangerous players at the European Championships in Germany, will be the main focus. The runners-up also have high hopes for Dani Olmo, who was brought in from RB Leipzig and is expected to work with Yamal in attack. He is - at least to date - the only top transfer. The transfer fee is said to have amounted to over 50 million euros. There is not much additional leeway because the club's financial situation is still devastating and the league's Financial Fair Play regulations impose restrictions. Barca are plagued by horrendous debts of over one billion euros.

Dani Olmo comes to Barcelona as a beacon of hope.

(Bild: AFP)

Defending champions and Champions League winners Real Madrid start the new season as favorites. Coach Carlo Ancelotti's team may have lost playmaker Toni Kroos and veteran Nacho, but is now even better positioned in attack with the additions of Mbappe and Endrick. The French superstar and the 18-year-old Brazilian join Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Arda Güler.

Can Real only beat themselves?
The biggest challenge for Ancelotti will be to give all the top-class players enough game time to prevent offended egos. "The competition within the team is something that helps everyone to focus better. This competition is a very positive thing for us," said the Italian recently. Real play their first game on Sunday (21:30) away on Mallorca.

ÖFB team captain David Alaba will still be missing. The Viennese, who suffered a torn cruciate ligament in December last year, is still working on a full recovery. There is no specific date for when Alaba is expected to return. The comeback could be delayed until 2025, according to ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick, who is in regular contact with the central defender, during a visit to Vienna. "It's crucial that he gets back to 100 percent fitness and can play at full fitness again," said Rangnick.

Julian Alvarez

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Atletico Madrid, the only team to defy Real and Barca's title subscription with two victories in the past 20 years, are counting on defender Robin Le Normand and forwards Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sörloth to partner Antoine Griezmann. Girona, the surprise team of the league in third place in the pre-season, have lost a number of key players: Top scorer Artem Dowbyk (AS Roma), Savinho (Manchester City), Aleix Garcia (Bayer Leverkusen) and Eric Garcia (back to Barcelona).