The Barcelona head coach was delighted with the winning run at the start of the season and with the form of Raphinha, the 29-year-old Brazilian who played as a false nine against Sevilla on Saturday.
“His level is high. We know his quality. We are happy. He is dynamic. He is top. The decision to put him at 9 was made by the coaches. He is very happy to play as a false 9,” Flick said.
The forward’s future is also being settled. Sporting director Deco said at Saturday’s general assembly that a renewal until 2030 is very well advanced, and Flick welcomed the news.
“It is the best decision by the club. When you see him connect with the crowd, the team... he is the perfect captain.”
The negative note in Seville was the injury to Christensen, the 30-year-old Denmark defender.
“He will be out for a few weeks. It is a muscle injury, but we have to wait until tomorrow, for the tests.”
Flick also explained his decision to start Dominik Livaković in goal, and said that the choice did not reflect any loss of faith in another goalkeeper, whom he referred to as “Tek”.
“It was my feeling. I spoke with the staff and that is what we decided. It doesn’t mean I don’t trust Tek. Today I had that feeling, that he should play. It’s for this game. It’s not something personal, it has to do with the team. It’s a complicated situation for me.
"I must manage these things. Nor is Gavi playing either...”