The noise surrounding Real Madrid has grown louder in recent days, especially after their defeat to Celta Vigo in LaLiga EA Sports. But in Barcelona, there is a very different mood. At the Ciutat Esportiva, the message is defined and deliberate: focus inward, ignore the turbulence outside, and keep building.

That was the tone Hansi Flick set ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League showdown with Eintracht Frankfurt, a match the Catalans approach with their attention locked strictly on their own evolution.

“We Look at Ourselves, Not at Madrid”

Flick’s words came out natural, but not accidental. He has no intention of joining parallel debates or comparing trajectories with the club’s eternal rival.

“Having a four-point advantage is good, but the journey is very long,” he said, emphasizing that his only concern at the moment is Tuesday’s European commitment.
For Flick, rivals like Real Madrid, Atlético, or Villarreal demand maximum attention —yet none dictate Barcelona’s preparation.

Eintracht, the Immediate Priority

The German coach didn’t hesitate to praise the Bundesliga side, describing them as young, intense, and fast.
“We have to play at a very high level,” he warned, fully aware that Matchday 6 of the league phase can be pivotal in shaping Barça’s momentum in the competition.

Flick highlighted that the team is “playing at a different level” compared to a month ago, a subtle nod to the individual progression seen across the squad.

Cubarsí and Gerard Martín: Foundations of the New Barça

Flick devoted part of his press conference to acknowledge two players who embody the team’s growth.

On Pau Cubarsí, the 18-year-old center-back who completed 87 passes with 100% accuracy against Betis —the highest figure ever recorded in LaLiga— Flick was emphatic:

“If he raises the level, it’s good for everyone.”

He also praised Gerard Martín, who is living his best moment since being promoted to the first team.
“He works hard, he has attitude, he has the right mentality, and his dream was to play for Barça. That dream is now real,” Flick said.

Martín is set to make his Champions League debut on Tuesday in a Spotify Camp Nou that returns to the competition after more than three years away.

A Final Message: Control or Suffer

Flick closed with the principle that defines his footballing philosophy:
Barcelona must control matches.

“When you lose the ball, you have to defend and run more —and I don’t like that,” he joked, making his point clear: his Barça should dominate, not endure.

Far from engaging in Madrid’s crisis narrative, Flick stays firm in his plan: look within, strengthen the structure, and continue shaping a team that is steadily recovering its identity.

The noise outside is loud.
But Flick’s Barça, he insists, prefers to walk its own path.