Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has clearly been impressed with what he has seen from his side so far in pre-season, and their latest performance against AC Milan brought an unexpected reward for his players.
Barca’s new manager had plenty to cheer about after the 2-2 draw with Milan in Baltimore, as the Spanish giants ended their tour of the United States with a comeback draw before losing on penalties.
Despite trailing by two early goals from Luka Jovic and USMNT star Christian Pulisic, Barca dug deep into the game and Robert Lewandowski scored twice, before and after the break, to tie the match.
That sent the match to penalties, where errors from Jules Kounde, Quim Junyent and Mikayil Faye cost Barca the win, but Flick was optimistic nonetheless.
So much so that he has decided to reward his players with extra time to rest during training.
Flick’s unexpected reward for Barça players after the pre-season tour in the United States
The Spanish newspaper AS reports that Flick has given his players three days off to recover after the end of the US tour, so they can spend time with family and friends..
Journalist Javier Miguel has suggested the German has relaxed his usually strict training regime after being impressed with his players’ exploits in the United States, and they are not expected back at the club’s Joan Gamper base until Saturday.
Victories over Manchester City and arch-rivals Real Madrid may have fuelled Flick’s more relaxed approach, with Barca winning 4-1 on penalties against the Premier League champions in Orlando, before a 2-1 win over Los Blancos in New York.
