On May 24, 2024, Joan Laporta made a shocking decision by dismissing Xavi Hernández barely a month after reaffirming his position as Barcelona’s head coach.

At that moment, the club was engulfed in uncertainty.

The fans had lost faith in many players, and the situation was dire.

Yet, months later, Barcelona completed a historic season, rediscovering the best versions of their players and transforming into an offensive juggernaut that shattered records.

I was amazed by this transformation and decided to investigate how Hansi Flick resurrected Barça—and what I found was a ruthless plan.

Ironically, Flick was the man responsible for the worst defeat in Barcelona’s history—the infamous 2-8 loss to Bayern Munich.

This humiliating result marked the definitive end of an era for Barcelona, signaling a desperate need for change.

The club had hit rock bottom.

Lionel Messi announced his desire to leave, sending shockwaves through the football world.

Meanwhile, police raided the club’s offices, and former president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested for allegedly hiring firms to criticize his own players.

The club’s control was slipping dangerously out of hand.

What seemed like the end of Barcelona was actually the beginning of a new chapter.

The man who had triggered the club’s worst crisis was now leading its resurrection.

Barcelona had gone from winning everything to forgetting what once made them great.

Barcelona’s greatest moments came at the start of the 21st century, thanks to a unique football philosophy inspired by Johan Cruyff and the total football principles of Rinus Michels, the legendary Dutch coach of the 1970s.

The idea was to dominate opponents through possession, intelligently exploit spaces, and quickly recover the ball—a style that revolutionized modern football.

Under Cruyff, the Catalans enjoyed a golden period culminating in their first European Cup (now the Champions League) in 1992.

Cruyffism became the club’s identity, and Pep Guardiola later elevated it to new heights.

Guardiola brought the teachings of his mentor to a new generation of extraordinary players, including Lionel Messi, who became the world’s best player.

This team symbolized the triumph of La Masia, Barcelona’s famed youth academy.

In 2010, all three Ballon d’Or finalists were La Masia graduates—a testament to the academy’s brilliance.

After Guardiola’s departure due to differences with the new board under Sandro Rosell, Barcelona continued to dazzle, winning a historic treble in 2015 with Luis Enrique and the lethal attacking trio of Messi, Suárez, and Neymar.

However, 2015 also marked the beginning of turmoil.

Josep Maria Bartomeu’s presidency was disastrous in every respect.

His transfer policies were baffling—preferring Martin Braithwaite over Erling Haaland, allegedly due to flawed reports.

Bartomeu spent heavily on expensive signings without understanding how to integrate them, resulting in failures.

Meanwhile, La Masia was neglected.

The team continued to win domestic trophies but gradually drifted away from their trademark style and dominance on the pitch.

The squad became increasingly dependent on Messi, who almost single-handedly nearly won the Champions League in 2018-19.

Yet, year after year, Barcelona suffered humiliations in Europe and developed a reputation for mental fragility.

The crisis culminated in 2020 when Quique Setién took over mid-season and attempted to increase training intensity.

This move backfired, confirming rumors that the dressing room had too much power and lacked proper discipline.

Bartomeu resigned after driving the club into economic ruin, leaving behind an aging squad with inflated wages.

Joan Laporta returned as president, inheriting a worse situation than anticipated.

Unable to renew Messi’s contract, the club faced a complete collapse.

Ronald Koeman was dismissed, and Xavi Hernández returned as coach, hailed as the savior to restore Barcelona’s identity.

However, Xavi quickly realized the deep tactical and structural issues within the squad.

Despite initial doubts about Hansi Flick, who was announced as Barcelona’s new coach just 50 days after Xavi’s dismissal, Laporta and Deco were convinced he was the right man to restore excellence.

Flick’s career was unconventional.

From 2006 to 2019, he was assistant to Joachim Löw, helping Germany win the 2014 World Cup.

He then took over Bayern Munich in 2019, turning the team around and winning the sextuple in 2020—the second team in history to do so after Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Though his Bayern tenure ended contentiously, Flick’s legacy was undeniable.

He then coached Germany’s national team but was dismissed after poor results in 2023.

Barcelona’s leadership took a gamble on Flick in 2024, and the results have been astonishing.

With one of Europe’s youngest squads, Barcelona began the season as underdogs.

Despite this, they started brilliantly, winning their first seven league matches.

Though early setbacks came—a Champions League loss to Monaco and a league defeat in Pamplona—the team quickly recovered.

The defining moment came against Bayern Munich, a team that had beaten Barcelona six times consecutively.

With a goal from Rafiña early on, Barcelona resisted Bayern’s pressure and responded with goals from Lewandowski and a sensational hat-trick from Ansu Fati.

The match ended in a historic rout, signaling a new era.

Flick’s Barcelona employs a terrifyingly high defensive line and relentless pressing that forces opponents into mistakes and long balls, which trigger a perfectly timed offside trap.

Barcelona leads Europe in offsides provoked, thanks to surgical coordination and immense team effort.

Pedri, the team’s offensive brain, also tops Europe in ball recoveries—a testament to the team’s collective work rate.

Barcelona’s base formation is a flexible 4-2-4, starting attacks from the back with ball-playing center-backs Iñigo Martínez and Pau Kubarcí.

The full-backs and midfielders combine to exploit spaces intelligently.

Lamin, positioned as a right winger, uses his dribbling skills to pull defenders wide, creating gaps inside that the team exploits with clinical efficiency.

On the left, Alejandro Balde surges forward like a motorbike, while Rafiña operates more centrally, showcasing his creativity and lethal finishing.

Veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, at 36, remains a decisive presence, using positional intelligence to score crucial goals.

Ferrán Torres and others contribute significantly, making Barcelona a goal-scoring machine.

Barcelona’s weaknesses were exposed against Inter Milan, where their commitment to style left them vulnerable to counterattacks.

Yet, Flick’s team remains faithful to their principles.

Most importantly, Flick has resurrected two lost pillars: an unbreakable fighting spirit and impeccable physical preparation—qualities Rinus Michels deemed essential for success.

Barcelona now aims to reinforce the squad to endure a long season, but more than just winning, they have regained belief.

Their intensity, pressing, and youthful hunger promise a new era—not just a comeback but a legacy in the making.

Barcelona’s resurrection under Hansi Flick is one of football’s most remarkable stories—a ruthless, tactical masterclass combined with youth, spirit, and a return to identity.

The Blaugrana are no longer just dreaming; they are building a dynasty.