Hansi Flick Shares First Thoughts on Signing Szczesny
Barcelona's coach, Hansi Flick, stated on Saturday, ahead of the LaLiga match against Alavés, that he's "happy" with the arrival of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny because it gives them "more options in goal."
The club signed the Polish keeper to compete for the starting spot after the international break with Iñaki Peña, who will be defending the goal against the Basque team. "We're pleased to have Iñaki. Having Szczesny as well can bring more experience, and I'm very glad to have more options in goal," Flick explained during a press conference at the Joan Gamper Sports City.
According to the German coach, the new signing was influenced by the goalkeeper coach, José Ramón de la Fuente, and Flick mentioned that the Pole "is a very friendly person with a character that will greatly contribute to the team." When asked about the recent league defeat to Osasuna, Flick replied: "It was the right time to test rotations. Now we're four days out from the last game we played, so we're at one hundred percent and the situation is different."
Facing Alavés, who are eleventh in the table with 10 points from eight matches, Flick expects a "high-intensity and aggressive game" from the opponent, so the team needs to "control possession to avoid the mistakes made in the Osasuna match."