Barcelona manager Hansi Flick settles goalkeeping debate – "I don't like that…"

01/28/2025 08:22 AM

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that Wojciech Szczesny will again start against Atalanta in the Champions League ahead of Inaki Pena. The latter had been maintained as number one after Marc-Andre ter Stegen's injury, but since the turn of the year, Szczesny has been favoured.

That is in spite of series of errors, including a red card, a penalty and an error of communication that cost the Blaugrana a goal, but so far Szczesny has gotten away without any of them costing Barcelona points. Flick was asked exactly what it was that had tipped the balance in Szczesny's favour.

"I know that when I say something good about Tek it seems that Inaki comes out weakened. I don't like that. My decision is to choose the goalkeeper. They are both very good goalkeepers, great goalkeepers. We have decided on Tek for tomorrow. I always look for the best for the team and, for the moment, I see it that way, although Inaki has done very well."

"It always is, it's difficult. The goalkeeper is very special. It's one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make [since joining Barcelona]."

Frenkie de Jong is much more open to renewing his contract than he was before, partly because he's gaining prominence. @ffpolo

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 28, 2025

Flick was also full of praise for Wednesday's opponents Atalanta, and noted that he did not think Gian Piero Gasperini would change his plans much with Ademola Lookman out of action.

"Obviously, when you are missing such an important player it affects you. But Gasperini knows his team very well and I don't think he will change his style that much. He has very trained automatisms and I don't think he will change his plan much."

"It is always difficult to play against Italians because they defend very well. Atalanta plays one against one all over the field, they make very fast transitions and we have talked about it with the team, and how we want to play against them."

The decision over the goalkeeping spot threatens to make relations between Flick and Pena difficult going forward. Previously Flick had told Pena that he would retain the starting spot provided he did not make any errors. So far that has not been the case, and yet Szczesny has been forgiven several glaring mistakes in his first few appearances.

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