In the coming week or so, Hansi Flick will begin his duties as Barcelona manager, having been officially confirmed in the role on Wednesday. Markus Sorg and Toni Tapalovic will begin duties alongside him, and now another coach has been added, and it’s one that the Catalan club had been keen to bring in.
Last week, it was reported that Barcelona were looking to add a Spanish speaker to Flick’s coaching staff, and now one has been picked. As per MD, Heiko Westermann – who knows the language from his short stay at Real Betis – will work alongside Flick, Sorg and Tapalovic from this summer onwards.
🚨 Heiko Westermann will be part of Flick's staff, joining Sorg and Tapalovic. He speaks Spanish from his time at Real Betis. @RogerTorello
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 31, 2024
As well as being a translator for Flick, Westermann will act as a liaison between the German manager and La Masia’s young talents. He will help to decide when they can be promoted to the first team.
Flick will need to hit the ground running at Barcelona following the disappointments of the 2023-24 season, when Xavi Hernandez was in charge. Having a Spanish speaker on the coaching staff will certainly help bridge the gap between manager and playing squad.
