Barcelona kick off their 2024-25 Champions League campaign on Thursday with a trip to Monaco. The Catalans go into the match is fantastic form, having won all five of their La Liga matches so far this season.
In recent years, Barcelona have struggled in Europe. Last season’s progression to the Champions League quarter-final stage was their best in a little while, and Hansi Flick will hope to better this during his first campaign in the hot seat.
During his press conference ahead of the Monaco fixture (via MD), he admitted to feeling unbothered about the club’s recent European struggles.
“I don’t care about the past, we have to focus on the now. The team has had a full record of victories in La Liga and we are confident. We need aggressiveness and concentration, this is what is needed in a competition like the Champions League. The five victories are already in the past, and we have to prove ourselves in this competition.”
Hansi Flick: "We're playing very well and that's the idea. When I started pre-season, that was the objective and we're doing well. The pressure, the commitment of the players is fantastic and the quality of the squad, of the youngsters, is very good."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 18, 2024
Flick also expressed his belief that the Champions League is a competition that Barcelona should be looking to win this season.
“A club like Barcelona, like other big clubs, should want to win titles. The Champions League is the best competition in the world. We have to be ready to play against the best teams, but if you’re not 100% focused, you don’t have a place in this competition.”