How recent FC Barcelona coaches performed on their debuts
He may have already coached the team through four friendlies, but for Hansi Flick things well and truly begin at FC Barcelona on Saturday, when his team plays Valencia (9.30pm CEST) in their first Liga game of 2024/25 at Mestalla. There is a saying in Spanish football that goes 'new manager, guaranteed win', but how far as that held in reality? Let's see...
9 wins out of 11
And in general, it's true. Nine of Barça's last eleven coaches (i.e. the ones that debuted in the 21st century, but not including the three caretaker managers, Toño de la Cruz in 2000, Jordi Roura in 2012 and Sergi Barjuan in 2021) won their first Liga games. Hopefully Hansi Flick is about to continue that solid tradition.
The best start was for 'Tata' Martino, who enjoyed a spectacular 7-0 rout of Levante in his first game in 2013. His predecessor Tito Vilanova also got off to an amazing start as coach by trouncing Real Sociedad 5-1.
Neither was there was anything wrong with the 4-0 victory for Ronald Koeman over Villarreal in 2020, and Luis Enrique also had a comfortable debut when his side saw off Elche to the tune of a 3-0 win in 2014.
The next best start was Ernesto Valverde's 2-0 defeat of a Betis side coached by Quique Setién, who curiously enough would end up being his successor.
Closer encounters
Setien also got off to a winning start, but by the narrow margin of just 1-0 against Granada. That has been the most common scoreline in our survey, for that was also the debut result for Frank Rijkaard away to Athletic Club and for Xavi Hernández in a derby against Espanyol.
Llorenç Serra Ferrer also won by a solitary goal, in his case 2-1 at home to Malaga.
The two that didn't win
Only one manager has debuted with a draw this century, and that was Radomir Antic, whose side was held to 2-2 by Athletic Club at Camp Nou.
There was only one coach that started with a defeat. And it also goes to show that perhaps we shouldn't read too much into first games in charge, because Pep Guardiola not only ended up winning the league, but also led the team through its most glitzy era ever. Things hadn't got off to the most promising of starts, when his team lost 1-0 at Numancia in their opening game, and followed that up with an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Racing Santander. But how things would change!
So even if things don't work out for Hansi Flick on Saturday, perhaps there would be no need to despair quite yet...
And the two Germans?
Flick is the third German to manage FC Barcelona. Promisingly, both of his compatriots started out with wins in the league. Hennes Weisweiler won 3-2 at Elche and Udo Lattek celebrated a tremendous 4-0 battering of Cádiz.