Flick Learned of Real Madrid's Defeat While in Bed

Hansi Flick has consistently shown that he is not a conventional coach. He reaffirmed this when asked about Real Madrid's home defeat to Celta, which strengthened Barcelona's lead. "It was the same as the previous match. I was already in bed when I received a message," explained the German, who last year admitted he doesn't usually watch rival matches live. "We want to focus on ourselves. I don't want to waste energy; I'd rather save it for our team," he added with a smile.

"We look at ourselves, not at Madrid, we don't want to talk about them," he said when questioned about the lead in the standings and the difference a few weeks ago. "We are four points ahead, but it's a long journey. We have to give our best," he insisted before reminding that "the most important match now is tomorrow's against Eintracht."

A veteran coach like him knows that things can change in two or three matches and that points can be quickly reduced. "We have more points, but it's a different season," he said, referring to last year's events. "In the final stretch of last season, we were fantastic," and he wanted to open the possibility of other league contenders: "Atletico and Villarreal are also pushing." But true to his style, he wanted to focus on the Champions League until Wednesday because "the important thing now is the Champions League."

Regarding the change Barcelona seems to have undergone in recent matches, with five consecutive league victories, Flick is clear in his diagnosis: "Everyone knows what has happened in the last three months: many injuries and key players unavailable. We haven't been able to manage the minutes load."

Hansi Flick hinted during the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow's clash against Eintracht Frankfurt that Marc-André ter Stegen's return to the squad could be imminent. "It could be," responded the German coach when asked about it after the German goalkeeper has been training with the rest of the team for several sessions.

However, Ter Stegen's return to group dynamics does not change Hansi Flick's opinion on the current hierarchy in goal. The coach insisted that Joan Garcia will remain his starting goalkeeper: "I am clear, Joan is number one," he concluded.