Barcelona boss Hansi Flick says he could suffer the same fate as Xabi Alonso despite a growing sense of family at the Liga leaders.
Alonso left Real Madrid on Monday and replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa after a turbulent seven-month spell at the Santiago Bernabéu.
His final game in charge was Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup final defeat to Barca in Saudi Arabia amid reports of player unrest with several senior members of the Madrid squad believed to be unconvinced by his methods.
The situation is more serene for Flick at the minute, especially after their victory in the Middle East, but the German knows that can change very quickly.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow night’s Copa del Rey clash at Segunda Division leaders Racing Santander, he said: ”In the end you never know what will happen, things change. Here it can also happen, football depends on victories and in the big clubs even more.
“The feeling I had from my first hours here was very clear, that of working together and now it seems like a family, the president said it, not only the players, the staff, the club, the executives, Deco, the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, we are a big family and I value very much what we have built.
“In Saudi Arabia I felt it and this situation is very good. I really value this culture.”
He’s a great coach – Flick stands up for former Madrid boss Alonso
Asked to comment on Alonso’s departure, Flick added: “It’s part of football and we can’t change it. The club must believe in you and the team too. Those who make the decisions must do it and Madrid has done it that way but it’s not my thing. The coaching job is very complicated, we have many responsibilities but in the end it is part of our job and we have to live with it.
“What I can say is that I have a good relationship with Xabi, we met in Leverkusen and we have had contact. It’s football and I wish him the best, I’m sure he’ll have a great project soon for him and his technical team. You have to keep going, but he’s a great coach and he has a great future.”
Barcelona enjoy getting the better of Real Madrid
Flick has lost just one of six competitive meetings with Real Madrid since joining Barcelona and admits it is a record that gives him pleasure.
“You have to enjoy these situations because everything changes very quickly and I am very happy with how things are going,” said the former Bayern Munich boss.
“The people in Barcelona are very kind to me and my team and I like to experience this. That’s why we try hard every day. We have won the first title [the Spanish Super Cup] but now we have to think about the next one. Tomorrow will be an important match against a rival who beat Villarreal, who are third in our league. When you are a Barça player you must give everything on the grass.”
After their trip to Santander, Barcelona return to league action with a game against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián at the weekend. Barca are currently four points clear of Madrid at the top of the table.
