Barcelona thrashed Feyenoord 5-1 in their Champions League opener at the Camp Nou, with Flick delighted by his side's quality even as Van Bronckhorst conceded the gulf in class was stark. Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Lamine Yamal and substitute Gabriel Jesus were all on the scoresheet as Barcelona continued an unbeaten start to the season.
"What I see is that there is great quality in training and there is competition. We make changes but the good level continues," Flick said.
He was full of praise for his captain's individual brilliance.
"It's my player, he deserves the Ballon d'Or. For me he's exceptional. We can see it in every match. He deserves it," Flick said of Yamal. Asked whether this was the best Barcelona side of his tenure, the head coach struck a satisfied but measured tone.
"I like a lot what I see, but I also see situations we must improve. I like what I see in training, and I see quality. We analyse everything and try to improve. But I want to convey that I'm very happy, though there's always room to improve," he said, adding Tuesday's session had been the best training he had witnessed since taking over, including his time at Bayern Munich.
Flick also praised Raphinha and Pedri's absence from the Ballon d'Or shortlist as an oversight.
"Raphinha played a great match. They should be on the Ballon d'Or list, but that's something that can't be changed," he said, adding that he was simply enjoying his time in Catalonia. "I don't want to compare the two teams. I had a fantastic time there and now it's another moment in my life. I value every day I walk through Barcelona."
Van Bronckhorst, returning to a stadium where he once played, acknowledged the scale of the task his side faced.
"If you see how they play, Barça is the best team in the world right now. We didn't sit back, we didn't park the bus, but they scored a quick goal against us... I had 18 players who had never played in the Champions League before. There's a lot to improve. Mistakes are punished. Barça can win this tournament," he said.
The Dutch coach appreciated Flick's praise of his team's approach. "It's very kind of him to say he liked us, that we pressed and that we didn't just limit ourselves to defending," he said.
Van Bronckhorst also echoed Flick's admiration for Yamal, "With his age, he's won everything. The fans love him. He can win the Ballon d'Or. I see him like Messi and Ronaldinho. The question is when."