Flick keeps Barcelona goalkeeper decision under wraps and hints at attacking rotation

Hansi Flick has refused to reveal whether Wojciech Szczesny or Dominik Livakovic will start in goal for Barcelona against Sevilla at Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday.

The Barcelona manager was also asked whether Hamza Abdul Karim could be given an opportunity, while he confirmed the club would rotate its attacking options, including the possibility of Gabriel Jesus starting.

Flick said Barcelona’s decision to bring in a third goalkeeper during the summer was based on the quality available in the position.

“I think it is important to have quality in this position,” he said. “When you look at the first season we had with Szczesny, when we won three trophies, you can already see that he is a great goalkeeper. Livakovic is also a good goalkeeper, which is why he joined us.”

Flick was asked who had made the decision to rest Juan Garcia.

“We always make decisions together,” he said. “It is not serious, but we spoke with the doctors and the player, and in this case the decision was to give him a rest.”

The German was then pressed on whether Szczesny would retain his place against Sevilla or whether Livakovic would be selected.

“We never talk about what we do as coaches,” Flick replied. “Wait and see what happens.”

Flick also discussed his conversation with Szczesny after the previous match and the differences between the two goalkeepers.

“I said that after the game as well: everybody makes mistakes and he made a mistake,” he said. “I spoke to him and he admitted that he had made a mistake. Szczesny knows our philosophy and how we play, while Livakovic is adapting to our style of play. But he is ready to play, and that is best for the team – for everyone to be prepared.”

Barcelona will have several players leave for international duty after Saturday’s match, and Flick acknowledged the potential risks of the break.

“First, we have to play on Saturday, and then there is the international break when many players will join their national teams,” he said. “I cannot say whether a break of this length is good or not, because those decisions do not depend on me. I trust the players who leave and the coaches there. When they return, we will have time to prepare for the match against Getafe.”

Asked about rotation and whether Gabriel Jesus could start, Flick said: “We will see. It is normal for us to rotate between the players.”

Flick attributed Barcelona’s progress to the collective atmosphere around the squad rather than to his influence alone.

“It is not only about me, but also the staff and the players,” he said. “There is positive energy, and that is good. We have to support the players and get closer to them. For me, we must build a good environment in which the players can recover after every game and the team can produce the required performance. We have to focus on that and look for solutions because we have analysed the situation.”