Flick reaches his first million: Barcelona coach steals the spotlight

What's the story?

Hansi Flick has taken to Instagram like a duck to water. The Barcelona manager blew past one million followers in under 24 hours of launching his official account, his opening message to the Catalan club's supporters striking an instant chord.

According to Spanish newspaper "Sport", Barcelona and Flick revealed the news on Thursday evening through a joint post, confirming the German coach had opened a personal account to share moments from his daily life, behind-the-scenes glimpses of his work and other content from his time at the club.

"Hello Barcelona fans! I'm very happy to be on Instagram and to share some moments of my daily life, and my life with Barcelona and with you," Flick wrote, before catching supporters off guard with a line in Catalan: "Thank you so much for your support. Long live Barcelona!"

The response was instant. Fans flooded to follow the coach, pushing him past a million followers within hours and laying bare just how popular he has become at the club and among its supporters.

Barcelona's players boast enormous followings on social media, yet Flick hit that record number at remarkable speed from a standing start. None of the current squad had managed the same feat under those conditions.

A further spike could follow if the players promote his account through their own posts or stories. Keep an eye on Lamine Yamal, the most-followed player in the squad with around 60 million followers.

So far Flick has kept it simple: one post and two stories. One paid tribute to the families of the victims of the train accident in Toledo. The other announced his arrival on social media.