Barcelona coach Hansi Flick tackled a range of issues ahead of tomorrow's La Liga clash with Sevilla, chief among them Raphinha's new role as an out-and-out striker. He also lavished praise on Karim Adeyemi and the German's rapid adaptation to the team.
Barcelona travel to Sevilla top of the table, having claimed 18 points from six rounds with a perfect record.
Raphinha leads Barcelona's press
On his view of Raphinha as a number "9", Flick said: "When you look at the last two seasons, you will find that we always started the pressing process from the number 9. Raphinha has this hunger, this desire and the mentality we need to start the press the way we want."
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, as highlighted by the newspaper "AS", he added: "He does not only deliver outstanding levels in attack, he also performs superbly defensively. Raphinha is the one who starts the pressing process, and as the team's captain, he leads everyone and the others follow him."
Flick turned to Raphinha in the centre-forward role from the start of this season, following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, the delayed arrival of Gabriel Jesus, and the failure to land Julián Álvarez, the primary target to bolster the front line last summer.
The Brazilian has been a revelation there. He has scored nine goals in six matches so far, topping the goalscoring charts.
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"I bet on the Barcelona star 100%"
Turning to new arrival Karim Adeyemi, the Barcelona coach praised the German's blistering pace but stopped short of calling him the fastest player he has ever coached.
Flick said: "He is very fast, but I do not know whether he is the fastest among all the players I have coached. Alphonso Davies has similar pace."
On Adeyemi's personality inside the dressing room, he added: "He is a good lad and a wonderful person, and he is highly respected inside the dressing room. Everyone likes him a lot, and his levels in matches make things easier."
The move to Barcelona, Flick explained, came at the right time for the player: "I think he was not living his best periods in Germany, and so it was better for him to change the atmosphere and move to another country."
Flick signed off with a ringing endorsement: "I am very happy that he chose us. I will give him confidence, and I bet on Karim 100%. We will see more matches like the one he delivered on Wednesday."
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