Flick: Barcelona have the quality to end wait for Champions League title

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Barcelona have not won the Champions League since 2014-15, but Hansi Flick believes his current crop have what it takes to conquer Europe once again. 

Flick’s comments came on the eve of Barcelona’s Champions League opener against Feyenoord at Camp Nou, with the Blaugrana out to avenge last season’s shortcomings. 

After losing to Inter 7-6 on aggregate in the 2024-25 semi-finals, Barcelona were dumped out of the quarter-finals of last year’s competition by LaLiga rivals Atletico Madrid. 

Luis Enrique, who has won back-to-back Champions League titles with Paris Saint-Germain, was the last manager to lead Barcelona to glory in Europe 11 years ago. 

But after winning LaLiga for the second time in a row last season, along with making an unbeaten start to their league campaign this term, Flick is hopeful of European success. 

“I think that, in the end, the big clubs dream of this. We have the quality to win it, but the road is long,” Flick told reporters.

“We have many experienced players. They all have the responsibility to win everything.”

The Opta supercomputer has assigned Barcelona a 9% chance of winning the Champions League, with only Manchester City (12%), Bayern Munich (19%) and Arsenal (21%) better fancied in its pre-tournament simulations. 

“All the big teams dream of winning the Champions League. It’s a very long journey, but I think we have the quality to do it.”

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 8, 2026

This will be the 21st time that Barcelona have played their opening game of a European Cup or Champions League campaign at home – they have won 18 of the previous 20 (D1 L1), with their only defeat coming against Bayern in 2021-22 (0-3).

Among managers with 10+ games in the Champions League, Flick has both the highest win percentage (72.7%) and the highest goals-per-game ratio (three).

Indeed, since he took over at Barcelona in 2024, the Catalan side have scored the most goals per game of any side in the competition (2.88 – 75 in 26 games).

Flick’s side have begun their season with four straight wins in LaLiga, thumping Valencia 5-0 on Sunday as Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal starred. 

Anthony Gordon, who joined from Newcastle United this summer, also continued his fast start to life with the Blaugrana. The England international has registered four assists in his first four appearances for Barcelona, though he is yet to find the back of the net. 

But this competition is where he thrived last season. Gordon became just the second Englishman to reach double figures for goals in a single Champions League campaign, after Harry Kane in 2024-25 (11), having scored 10 goals for the Magpies in the competition in 2025-26. 

“As a forward, he wants to score goals, create chances and provide the final pass,” Flick said of Gordon. “That is also very important.

“The goals will come. I am very happy with his performance in defence and attack.”

Flick was also on hand to talk about Yamal, who was recently confirmed as one of Barcelona’s five captains, alongside Pedri, Raphinha, Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong.

“He [Yamal] can decide matches on his own. And he loves improving day by day,” Flick said. 

“He is enjoying himself, also in the new role of captain. That is important for him to reach his highest level.”

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