Inside Hansi Flick's Barcelona: Kicking water bottles, inviting staff and players for dinner, implementing a strict dress code and the German manager's methods for success

Hansi Flick is overseeing a fabulous debut season at the helm for Barcelona, and the German manager has instilled a winning mentality within the squad, fostering team unity and synergy, while also adopting a no-nonsense approach towards indiscipline.

Flick has quickly earned the respect of Barcelona’s squad with his mix of approachability and strict discipline, according to Mundo Deportivo. His hands-on approach has given players like Raphinha and Inigo Martinez a fresh start, making them key figures. Flick’s intensity is evident on matchdays, using half-time to correct mistakes, though his passion sometimes leads to frustration, such as an incident that saw water bottles thrown away in anger.

Indeed, the former Bayern Munich head coach has punished Jules Kounde on several occasions for turning up late to the team's pre-match routines and meetings, showing intolerance towards any form of unpunctuality and indiscipline.

The rules set by Flick extend beyond the players, even applying to Barcelona's top officials, including president Joan Laporta. During Barcelona’s pre-season in the United States, Laporta and his directors arrived at training sessions in their typical formal attire. However, on one of the early days, Flick made a direct request, encouraging them to adopt a more casual dress code to better suit the informal atmosphere of training.

However, he has a soft side to him, too, believing in building personal relationships with his players and staff. He has often hosted dinners and gifted his staff expensive wine and turron for Christmas.

"Before I came here in the summer, he was at the Euros and I was talking to him. Honestly, I was really surprised by the affection he has for all of us; he tries to talk to everyone," Lamine Yamal told Mundo Deportivo in February, emphasising on the coach's efforts to keep the morale high within the dressing room.

Flick has led the Catalans to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face Borussia Dortmund, while they are also in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, where they will play Atletico Madrid in the second leg next week after a 4-4 draw in the first meeting.

As for La Liga, Flick's side are currently at the top of the table, level on points with rivals Real Madrid albeit with a game in hand. They will next be seen in action on Thursday, March 27, when they take on Osasuna in a fixture rearrangement that has angered the club.