Flick: Barcelona star admitted his mistake, and we will use rotation in attack
Will Hamza Abdelkarim get his chance?
Hansi Flick has kept everyone guessing over who starts in goal against Sevilla tomorrow, Saturday, at the Sanchez Pizjuan, with the Barcelona coach weighing up Wojciech Szczesny and Dominik Livakovic.
Why sign a third goalkeeper this summer? Flick explained in the pre-match press conference: "I think it is important to have quality in this position. When you look at the first season we had with Szczesny, in which we won three titles, you can already realise that he is a great goalkeeper, and Livakovic is also a good goalkeeper, and that is why he joined us."
Who decided to rest Joan Garcia? The German answered: "We always take the decisions together. It is not serious, but we spoke with the doctors and the player, and in this case the decision was to give him rest."
Pressed on whether Szczesny would start tomorrow or whether he would turn to Livakovic, Flick said: "We never talk about what we do as coaches. Wait and see what happens."
He then turned to his chat with Szczesny after the last match and the differences between the Pole and Livakovic. "I said that too after the match, everyone makes mistakes and he made a mistake. I spoke with him and he admitted that he made a mistake. Szczesny knows our philosophy and how we play, while Livakovic is adapting to our way of playing, but he is ready to feature and this is the best thing for the team, that everyone is prepared."
Does the international break worry him, with players due back from national duty? Flick stated: "First, we have to play on Saturday, then comes the break in which many players will join their national teams. I cannot say whether such a long break is a good thing or not, because these decisions do not depend on me. I trust the players who leave and the coaches there, and when they return we will have time to prepare for the Getafe match."
Quizzed on rotation and a possible start for Gabriel Jesus, Flick said: "We will see, it is natural for us to rotate between the players."
What about the mood in the dressing room, so often cited as a reason for this progress? Flick said: "It is not just about me, but about the staff and the players. That is true, there is positive energy and that is a good thing. We have to provide support to the players and get close to them. For me, we must build a good environment for the players to recover after every match and for the team to deliver the required performance, and we have to focus on that. We must look for solutions because we have studied the situation."
