“Manuel Pellegrini’s teams always play good football. He gives his players confidence, and it shows in their performance.”
“I hope we can finish the year with all players in good health.”
“Winning always feels much better than losing, that’s natural.”
“Betis is a strong team with experienced players. They press high, and we’ll need to stay alert.”
On playing most return legs at home: “Maybe, but I’m not fully convinced. Every match must be played. We saw what happened last weekend. Let’s hope it’s an advantage. I discussed it with my assistant today, and we’re hoping to play at the new stadium by March.”
On the Mallorca game: “We need to maintain the same mindset we had in Mallorca. We also have the Champions League next week. It’s crucial that the team believes in its strengths, which is what this young squad needs.”
On Raphinha: “We need him in every match; he’s essential. If he can play 90 minutes, that’s even better. He’ll start tomorrow, and Lewandowski will as well.”
On team demands: “What I’m focused on is clarity and team performance. It’s about what we need to do, not worrying about the other team. Tomorrow’s match is important, and we want to win it.”
On the FIFA Club World Cup: “I can’t change that. We’re not there, and at the end of the season, I’ll think about my players who have had a heavy workload. Maybe it’s good for them to get more rest. We’ll have a longer preseason to prepare.”
On Araujo: “He might be available for the Dortmund game, but our goal is to have him fully ready for Leganés. It’s tough to bring him into every match with the team performing well. I’m happy with the progress, and today we focused on preparing for tomorrow.”
On the dressing room atmosphere after the Mallorca win: “Winning always feels better than losing. The players are focused, and it’s good to see that level of concentration after such a great win.”
On Ansu and Christensen: “With so many games early in the season, rotations are important for player recovery. It’s great to see players getting back to full fitness. Hopefully, everyone will be fit by year-end.”
On Lamine’s influence: “When the stats speak for themselves, they highlight the importance of tomorrow’s match.”
On Vitor Roque: “I’m not worried. I trust my players. Betis has good players too, but we need to defend well. Vitor is doing great and improving. When we arrived, he wasn’t fully happy, so making a change was the best decision for him. It’s great to see him feeling more positive now.”
End of Hansi Flick’s press conference.
