Gabriel Jesus Compares Pep Guardiola and Hansi Flick After Barcelona Move
Barcelona forward Gabriel Jesus has opened up about the differences between Pep Guardiola and Hansi Flick, having worked under both coaches at different stages of his career.
Jesus joined Barcelona during the summer transfer window in a €10 million move and has already made four appearances across all competitions. The Brazil international has scored twice during that run and is gradually settling into life in Catalonia.
His move to Barcelona has also given Jesus the chance to reunite with former Manchester City teammates Joao Cancelo and Rodri. The Brazilian shared a particularly close relationship with Cancelo during their time together in England, and the pair remain in regular contact both on and off the pitch.
Jesus admitted that returning to the same dressing room as Cancelo has been a particularly enjoyable experience, given how close they became at City. Their relationship was built through years of working together in training and matches, making their reunion at Barcelona a natural one.
The forward has also experienced a significant change in coaching philosophy, having moved from Guardiola’s highly structured tactical system to Flick’s more flexible approach.
“Pep is more tactical. He has a basic plan for building attacks from the back, and that is something quite unusual. But we won the league with him,” Jesus said, as reported by SB Nation.
“With Flick, you can be yourself. You play simply whenever possible, run more and help defensively more often. Both approaches can be very productive when it comes to results.”
The early signs under Flick have certainly been positive for Barcelona. The Catalan giants currently sit top of the table with 21 points from seven matches, meaning they have won every league game so far this season.
Jesus was not included in Brazil’s squad for the latest international break, allowing him additional time to continue adapting to his new surroundings and Flick’s methods. The forward will now hope to return to action when Barcelona host Getafe on Saturday, October 10.
With his scoring account already open and Barcelona enjoying a perfect league start, Jesus will be looking to play a bigger role as Flick’s side attempt to maintain their momentum. His experience under Guardiola could also provide another dimension as he adapts to a very different tactical environment in Spain.
