Barcelona began their UEFA Champions League campaign in the same commanding manner as their La Liga season, beating Dutch side Feyenoord 5-1 at Spotify Camp Nou.

The result, along with the overall display from his side, left Hansi Flick highly satisfied, and the Barcelona manager made that clear while speaking at the post-match press conference.

As he reflected on the evening, the Barcelona coach first underlined how positive the mood is inside the dressing room:

“There is a good atmosphere in the team. I’m happy for Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.”

The German tactician was also unequivocal in his praise for Lamine Yamal, who scored one of Barcelona’s five goals on the night, and said the youngster merits the Ballon d’Or:

“Also as captain, that goal was good for Lamine… Of course, he is my player. He is a special player, magnificent. He deserves it, yes… He had a fantastic game.”

Flick also felt that Raphinha should have been included on the Ballon d’Or shortlist:

“He should be on this list, but it’s something we cannot change.”

While pointing to some of the reasons behind Barcelona’s strong start to the season, the coach also stressed that there is still room to grow:

“We are working very well, very hard, and we have quality on the ball. We can improve and we have to do so.”

Flick additionally voiced his satisfaction with the depth and level available in his squad:

“There is great quality in the squad, and there is a lot of quality in every position. We make changes and the team continues with the same idea of what we want to do.”

The Barcelona boss again returned to the need for further progress from his players:

“I like what I see, but there are things we have to improve, and that is what we do in training: analyze things to try to become even better. I’m very, very happy, but there is always room for improvement.”

He also highlighted his team’s ability to adjust according to the demands of different moments in a match:

“We can make changes in every situation. We have many different situations with several players: when we have to transition, when we have to control… We have also scored from a direct free kick, and that was fabulous.”

When asked to compare Barcelona’s display with Real Madrid’s performance against Inter Milan, Flick chose not to engage in comparisons and instead once more focused on his own team’s strengths:

“I’m very happy to be able to talk only about enjoying ourselves, because I’m the coach of Barça and I’m happy to be here. In the first five matches, we have scored many goals, and we also play as a team and control the game. That is the style we want, and I think people are enjoying it.”

Even with such an encouraging beginning to the campaign, the German coach reminded everyone that the season is still in its early phase:

“We are at the beginning of the season, and I know, and you know, that there is still a long way to go until May. But it is true that it looks very good, because we are training very hard and everyone is hungry.”

The Barcelona manager also pointed to another feature of his side’s performance that pleased him:

“How we recover the ball, although it was a little more difficult for us because Feyenoord are a very good team and there is a high level in the Champions League.”

Asked about the situation involving the new players, Flick said:

“There are many good players and everyone wants to play, and that has to be managed. The first thing we always have to focus on is the team.”

The German coach further praised the way his team had prepared for the fixture:

“After the Valencia match, it was the best training session of the season. That is what I want to see.”

Finally, he summed up his experience at Barcelona so far in simple but emphatic terms:

“It is more than a dream for me.”

With this latest victory, Hansi Flick has offered yet another sign of the strong work he has done with this Barcelona side. However, he will not have much time to dwell on the result, with the Catalan club due back in action in just four days against Levante in La Liga.