Hansi Flick picks out Barcelona man for praise – ‘Exactly what I want’

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was content after his side put FC Seoul to the sword in the second of their preseason friendlies, defeating the South Korean opposition 7-3. The Blaugrana have one final fixture on Sunday against Daegu FC before returning back to Catalonia.

The Catalan giants were comfortable from the off, racing into a 2-0 lead, but were briefly pegged back to 2-2. Flick used 24 players during the match, replacing the entire team at half-time, and making two more changes for the final 15 minutes.

Flick picks out Gavi for praise

One of those brought off late in the second half was Gavi, who captained the side in the second half, and scored an excellent goal.

“He can play in both positions, 6 or 8. We saw him at the end of last season and he was at a very good level. What I’ve seen from Gavi is exactly what I want to see, pushing the team forward, as captain,” he explained to MD after the match.

No risks with defensive duo

Only three outfield players did not feature against FC Seoul, one of which was young midfielder Dro Fernandez. The other two were Eric Garcia and Inigo Martinez, which Flick confirmed was precautionary.

“It was more important to take care of Eric and Inigo, who had some discomfort. In the end, I’m very happy.”

De Jong: “Under normal conditions, there will be a contract extension. I’m happy at Barcelona, and as far as I know, the club is happy with me.”

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 31, 2025

On the game itself, Flick described ups and downs during the match for his side.

“In the first half, we had a good start and then we were a bit sluggish, but we got back to a great level, and in the second half, with Gavi, Ferran, and Marcus, Gerard Martin, in a position that isn’t his usual one.”

Barcelona preparations for new season

Barcelona have now reached the halway point of their preseason, and have one more fixture after Daegu FC, with Como in town for the Joan Gamper trophy at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. Flick will have 13 days to get his side ready for La Liga action once they are back home from their Asian tour.