Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has changed his tune on his goalkeeping struggles in Marc-André ter Stegen's absence, opening the door for Wojciech Szczesny to wrestle the number one spot away from Inaki Pena.
As the Blaugrana prepare to take on Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, Ronald Araujo was one of the main topics, as was Ansu Fati's future. However, Flick has not thought much about his own future, he revealed when asked whether he would now accept a contract extension.
“I haven't thought about it. In football, things move very quickly and a lot can change. We'll see at the end of the season. I enjoy working here at Barca and with this team. I have a contract of one and a half years and that is a lot for a coach.”
Flick started Szczesny for the last three consecutive matches against Barbastro, Athletic Club and Real Madrid in the Copa and Supercup. He was asked if anything had changed regarding his selections in goal.
“I think a lot has changed for me. We saw Tek [Szczesny] perform very well, it is something beautiful to see. After the break he returned and gave everything in training. He has an incredible mentality and helps everyone a lot, including the goalkeepers. He can play at this level. I can also talk about Inaki, who was under pressure, he conceded a goal on the first shot, but he was very solid and recovered well. So that speaks of his mental strength.”
The German coach could simply boost Szczesny's confidence after his red card, or try to increase the competition between the two. What is beyond doubt is that his line has shifted from 2024, when he had previously continually noted that Pena was number one until he made a mistake.
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