Barcelona coach Hansi Flick is confident in his team's ability to win the Champions League title, before facing Dutch Feyenoord, on Wednesday, in the first round of the league stage.
Flick said in a press conference on Tuesday: “The Champions League is the biggest tournament, and we are capable of winning its title, but we have a very long way to go, and all the clubs want to win the title, so we have to prove our abilities.”
The German coach added: “Barcelona includes many experienced people, but the team’s collectiveness is the most important, and we must make the maximum effort possible every day. We achieved four consecutive victories at the start of our league journey, and this is not an easy matter.”
He continued in statements reported by the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”: “It is possible that some players will be dissatisfied with their position in the team, but every player has to prove himself, because our level in matches is the same performance that we provide in training, and we must continue that.”
The Barcelona coach stressed: “We have to be a cohesive team on the field, support each other, and perform better, and I see that the players are committed to that.”
Hansi Flick said that the Spanish League title is no less important than the Champions League, saying: “Certainly the Champions League has great value, but we also dream of winning the league title for a third season in a row, and we are working on that, because it will be a special achievement.”
Flick went on to praise the young star, Lamine Yamal, saying: “He is able to decide matches on his own. He has great technical abilities, and always strives to develop his level. He also currently enjoys being one of the team’s leaders. He loves football, and this is important for him to give his best.”
He continued: “Barcelona includes many wonderful players, and I will be happy if one of them wins the Golden Ball, but what is most important to me is the player’s mentality and behavior on a daily basis. There are many players who can win the Best in the World award.”
Midfielder Sofiane Amrabat announced that he is not ready to represent the Moroccan national team with the start of the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers this month, stressing that he will not play under the leadership of current coach Mohamed Wehbe, but he has not retired from international football.
Amrabat refused to reveal the reasons for his decision, but he suffered from a lack of participation in the recent World Cup, which was held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He started only one match out of six played by the Moroccan national team, which was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to France.
The appearance of Ayoub Bouadi, the Manchester City midfielder, contributed to reducing the chances of Amrabat participating.
Amrabat said on Instagram: “This was a very difficult decision, but I do not feel that I am able to continue representing the national team under the leadership of the current coach; “So I put myself outside the scope of choice as long as he takes charge.”
He added: “Out of respect for the national team and everyone associated with it, I prefer to keep the reasons for this decision to myself. I would like to make one thing clear: I have not retired from international football, and I am not closing the door on representing Morocco again.”
Amrabat, who was born in the Netherlands and recently joined Ajax Amsterdam, was one of the main pillars of the Moroccan national team that reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup under the leadership of former coach Walid Regragui, who was succeeded by Wehbe last March.
The 30-year-old player said that he will remain the "number one fan" of the team that will begin its journey towards the African Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in June and July of next year.
Morocco will host Gabon in its first match in Group A on September 25, before facing Lesotho in Bloemfontein, South Africa, four days later.
Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola believes that his first match as coach in the Champions League at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday will give a good indication of the level of his team.
The first victory this season, Friday, over newly promoted Ipswich cannot be considered a true measure of the extent to which the team has adapted to the change in the style of play adopted by the Basque coach since he took over from Ernie Slott in the summer.
This match will also be a test of the capabilities of Iraola himself; He had never trained at this level, as he participated in only three matches in the most important European club championship as a player with Athletic Bilbao.
Liverpool faced Atletico at home in the opening of the Champions League last season, achieving its third successive victory over coach Diego Simeone's team, where Virgil van Dijk's stoppage-time goal decided the win, after Liverpool had surrendered a two-0 lead.
"It's definitely a special night for me, everyone talks about Champions League nights at Anfield," Iraola said.
He continued in statements reported by the British news agency, PA Media: “It is a great responsibility and a tremendous challenge, but I feel proud to be on the field on match day.”
He concluded by saying: “It is a real test for the team as a whole, and I think it will show us a little where we are.”
