It all started with a trip to London in May 2024.
Barcelona sporting director Deco and Bojan Krkic, his former team-mate who had recently become a club executive too, took a flight to the UK.
Deco had agreed to meet Hansi Flick to discuss the possibility of him becoming Barcelona manager. The meeting took place in a hotel in the centre of the British capital, where the German made an immediate impression.
Deco and Bojan were astonished by how well Flick knew the Barcelona players. Not just the first team but the reserve side, and the under-19s.
Flick, who had been without a job since being sacked as Germany manager the previous September, said he believed Barca could compete for honours without a major overhaul.
Managing Barca was a dream the former Bayern Munich boss was desperate to realise. There was a complication, though. Barca already had a head coach. Xavi was still in the role — for the time being, at least.
That January, Xavi had announced his intention to step down at the end of the season.
Barca were going through a tough moment, but it took the board by surprise. By April, Xavi had a change of heart. He spoke with president Joan Laporta and it was agreed he would stay on. There were still tensions over the team’s performances, however.
When Deco and Bojan travelled to London, Barca had decided to sack Xavi. But the club legend had not been told.
The London trip was discovered by the Catalan media the same day, leaving Xavi in disbelief. He tried to make contact with senior executives to find out what was happening. No one replied.
After hours in the dark, Xavi ended up texting Flick himself. The managers had met previously when Xavi was in charge of Al Sadd in Qatar, and Flick was Germany coach.
At the time, sources close to Xavi — speaking anonymously to protect relationships, like all those cited here — said Flick denied he was in advanced talks to join Barca. Two days later, Xavi was sacked.
A lot has changed since. The two coaches met in a friendly manner in Barcelona. Flick contacted Xavi back in October 2024, when he was already in the city, to get together and clear the air. Xavi invited him over to his place, in the heart of the city, and any issues were left behind.
At Barca, meanwhile, Flick’s arrival has been followed by a rare period of stability and excitement around the club — and the close bond and trust he has with sporting director Deco has been key to that.
Bojan, Deco and Flick pictured in Saudi Arabia for last year’s Supercopa de Espana (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“I am so happy to work for this club, for Deco and all the staff here,” Flick said at a press conference in December. “Deco is doing an incredible job and I have a great relationship with him.”
The compliments have worked both ways. Two months into the 2024-2025 season, Deco told Barcelona’s in-house media channels what he loved most about Flick.
“He makes the way we work very easy,” the former Portugal international said. “He’s experienced, knows how the business works, and knows how it is to work in a big club like this. He’s very easy going, and that is important to stay calm on a day-to-day basis.”
Since being appointed back in August 2023, Deco, who played for Barca between 2004 and 2008, has in many respects become the most powerful and influential figure at the Camp Nou.
Now 48, he backed Laporta during his successful run for the Barca presidency in 2021 and, in March of that year, was hired as a recruitment advisor, specialising in the South American market. When he joined the club in a more official role, he had to shut down his player agency, D20 Sports, which counted Raphinha among its clients.
Sources who have worked closely with both men describe Deco and Flick’s relationship as one in which there’s a lot of trust, but also and “awareness about which cases they need to push for”.
An example of this came last month, with Joao Cancelo signing for Barca on loan. Flick wanted a centre-back, following Andreas Christensen’s partial ACL tear in his left knee and the period of absence granted to Ronald Araujo. Deco listened, but after exploring what was available felt there was no market opportunity in the position.
Instead, he suggested Joao Cancelo. Deco told Flick he still could provide an upgrade in terms of depth, and allow other players to perform as centre-backs. Flick understood the big picture, and bought into the idea with no hesitation.
In summer 2024 there were more significant examples. Deco was open to letting Raphinha and Inigo Martinez leave. Flick insisted they both stay, and Deco listened. They were both among the team’s best performers last season.
Around the same time, Deco identified Dani Olmo as a priority transfer target. Flick was on board with the signing, but it clashed with Ilkay Gundogan’s role. Gundogan had been a solid performer the previous season, and had a long-standing relationship with Flick, who made him captain with Germany.
It was a move that Deco felt necessary. Flick accepted the decision and had a key talk with Gundogan during pre-season. Gundogan was told that he would likely not have a primary role, and that Barca would make things easy for him if he wanted to leave. He eventually returned to Manchester City.
Hansi Flick and Raphinha (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Last summer, a similar situation developed around Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Deco and Flick both agreed to move for Joan Garcia, who was signed for €25million (£21.8m; $29.5m) from local rivals Espanyol. In taking this decision, Flick was braced for another honest conversation with Ter Stegen, which took place last month, when the 33-year-old recovered from back surgery.
“Flick was clear with him and told him Joan Garcia was his No 1,” a dressing room source told The Athletic. “And then he was also bold with some decisions, such as starting Joan Garcia in the Copa del Rey game against Racing Santander, one that Ter Stegen might have hoped to start. The day after that game, his loan move to Girona was sped up.”
There were few examples of such harmony between Deco and Xavi. Despite winning the 2006 Champions League title together with Barca, they did not click in the same way off the pitch.
There was a clear sense that they were working on different agendas regarding the decisions in the club. Deco was not impressed with Xavi’s camp actively briefing their own transfer priorities, which did not mix with his long-term vision. Meanwhile, Xavi never felt fully supported following the departure of Mateu Alemany as sporting director.
“It was impossible to find success with this environment inside the club,” an executive source says now about the situation. “This was a key factor behind the decision to sack Xavi and get Flick in 2024.”
Not everything is rosy. Barcelona’s finances are still a hurdle. With the club operating above their salary limit set by La Liga, it has been a struggle to register every first-team player in time for the start of the season. And unlike under Xavi, Flick’s Barca hasn’t really yet known a sporting crisis.
Still, Deco is much closer to Flick than he ever was with Xavi. You have the impression that any crisis would be dealt with coolly, whereas in the past they have often spiralled out of control in the battleground of the Barca entorno.
Barca’s domestic treble last season, and their positive progress this term, is not a direct consequence of that relationship. But compared to the turbulence of two years ago, a little bit of calm at the Camp Nou offices has certainly helped.
