Laporta Reiterates Unwavering Support for Hansi Flick at Barcelona

As Barcelona prepares to face Atlético Madrid, President Joan Laporta is set to deliver a speech at the club's Christmas Eve gathering, emphasizing unwavering support for head coach Hansi Flick. This approach mirrors Laporta's actions from the previous year when he urged unity and full confidence in then-coach Xavi Hernández amid a period of underwhelming performances.

During last year's address, Laporta passionately advocated for backing Xavi's project, stating, "Disappointments are part of sports. I ask you now, more than ever, to support our sporting project and our coach. Together, we can achieve success." At that time, the team was experiencing a series of inconsistent results, including a 2-4 loss to Girona.

Currently, despite leading the league standings, Barcelona has suffered unexpected home defeats against Las Palmas (1-2) and Leganés (0-1). Anticipation surrounds Laporta's forthcoming speech, where he is expected to call for unity and express unwavering faith in Flick's leadership. He will likely reiterate the club's commitment to competing for all titles, a sentiment he emphasized last year: "We will be ready to compete in all competitions: first the Super Cup, then the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the Champions League." Ultimately, Barcelona did not secure any of these titles, leading to Xavi's departure.

The Christmas Eve event is expected to host approximately 500 club employees, including the first-team squad and coaching staff. Notably, players such as Gavi and Marc-André ter Stegen, who missed last year's event due to injuries, are anticipated to attend, with ter Stegen currently sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a recent injury. New additions like Hansi Flick and Dani Olmo will also be present, underscoring the club's collective commitment to future success.