Hansi Flick is going through his worst moment since taking over the management of FC Barcelona.
After a spectacular start, handing out thrashings everywhere, the 4-0 at Bernabéu and the 4-1 against Bayern marked a turning point. Barça reached its peak and, since then, the results have gone from bad to worse.
Barça Blurs Hansi Flick's First Half
The crisis began on November 10, with Barça's defeat at Anoeta. From that day on, everything has gone wrong.
Atlético de Madrid moved up with no less than ten points during that time. Real Madrid also moved ahead in the standings.
Moreover, the current Barça is breaking records. Since the era of Roque Olsen in 1965, there hadn't been three consecutive home defeats. The crisis is not only about results but also about playing and confidence.
Flick seems to be against the ropes, although his continuity is not in danger. He is experiencing a tense situation that his predecessors Xavi Hernández, Ronald Koeman, or Quique Setién also suffered.
In the first twelve matches, Barça accumulated 33 points. In the last seven, out of 21 possible points, it barely scored five points. Additionally, Barça would be at the bottom of the LaLiga standings for the last month.
Xavi's Barça Worked Better
Last season, with Xavi on the bench, Barça had 41 points at this stage of the championship (three more). Two years ago, it had 50 (twelve more).
Barça's situation is surprising considering that, in the first matches of the season, its performance denoted optimism, handing out thrashings in almost all its matches and also offering good playing.
Flick understands that his team is too young, but that flaw didn't prevent it from overwhelming Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Flick Uses Pedri as an Example
He's now engaged in the task of lifting his players' spirits to bring them to Pedri's level. The Canary Islander is the only one excelling in recent matches.
Xavi Hernández has already gone through that. He knows the inner workings of the club, the pressures and the interests involved. Therefore, he decided to make a phone call to Flick to encourage him.
He reminded him of the difficulty of coaching Barça, due to the eternal demand for excellence. It's not enough to win; you have be convincing. He tried to boost his spirits.
He encouraged him to keep working without succumbing to discouragement. He used himself as an example. He reminded him that he's an admirer and is convinced he'll end up succeeding at Barça.
They talked about players, performance, rivals, and ways to approach matches. The goal was to encourage Flick using his own experience in solving crises.
It Wasn't the First Time
Flick appreciated the gesture because he saw in Xavi's detail an interest in fixing things and getting Barça back on track.
It's not the first time Flick and Xavi exchange opinions. The first time was when Flick was officially announced as Barça's coach. Xavi made himself available to solve any questions he might have.
They have then met repeatedly at various club events. By phone, however, it was only the second time they had direct contact.