A perfect relationship is one in which both parties obtain the same benefit. They are not too common, but they do exist. The one that began last summer between Hansi Flick and FC Barcelona is a clear example of this. Several months after they signed the contract that binds them, we can say without fear of being wrong that for the German coach, it was a wise decision to accept the Barça offer, just as Barça hit the mark by choosing to bring in the former Bayern coach.
Flick needed a project to put him back in the spotlight. Winner of a sextuple in the pandemic year, he disappeared from the map after signing a disappointing World Cup with the German national team. Since then, little or nothing was known about him. Barça was in the same situation, immersed in both an economic and a performance crisis, needing to find a captain to steer the Barça ship back on the right course. Now that their paths have crossed, seeing the fruits their relationship is bearing, it seems evident that they both needed each other but didn't know it.
There is still no title in the pocket, beyond the Super Cup won at the beginning of the year, but the fight for the treble continues. That is something that not even the most optimistic would have imagined in August. Barça is alive in all three competitions, 14 matches away from potentially lifting the Cup, League, and Champions. Whether they win all three, none, or some of them, the takeaway should be the same; FC Barcelona is back, fighting for important titles again, and doing so through an attractive, recognizable, and bold play style, which is why the 2024/25 season can already be considered a complete success today.
As I said at the beginning, both parties in this collaboration are obtaining the same benefit. Hansi Flick is once again considered a top coach, he is on everyone's lips for what he is achieving with a team as young as it is talented, and there are plenty of reasons for it. And Barça is the same. They can once again boast of offensive soccer, of their youth academy, and of being the envy of half of Europe for how they achieve their victories. The paths of both crossed in the summer of 2024, and since then, every Barça fan enjoys a perfect relationship that, hopefully, will endure over time.