Report: Flick to be announced as Barcelona coach on Monday
Former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick is to be announced as new Barcelona coach on Monday, the Mundo Deportivo newspaper said on Friday.
According to the report, Flick and Barcelona sporting director Deco had a decisive phone call last Wednesday. However, some details, such as the length of the contract, are yet to be clarified.
Flick has emerged again as a top candidate for the Barcelona job, Spanish and international media reported this week.
Xavi Hernandez is Barcelona coach at the moment. He said in January he would step down after the season, changed his mind in April by signing until 2025, but now reportedly faces the axe after remarks on Barcelona's financial situation and a not competitive squad which have angered the club leadership.
Flick, 59, was reportedly a candidate from the beginning. He was lately linked with a return to Bayern and with Chelsea but is said to have turned the English side down because Barcelona were his priority.
Flick became Bayern coach in autumn 2019, first on an interim basis, and led them to an astonishing seven titles: two Bundesligas, German Cup, German Super Cup, Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup.
The run to the Champions League title included an 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
He succeeded Joachim Löw as Germany coach in 2021 but that spell was not successful as Germany went out in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup and Flick had to go last autumn after further poor results.
