The ego makes us brothers

The interference of international matches in the domestic competition fuels debates that would otherwise be fleeting. This is the case with Hansi Flick's now-famous remark after the draw in Vallecas: "Egos kill success." Given Barça 's usual schedule, this reflection would have sparked our desire for discussion, but it would have been swept aside by current events. The remark has caught on because all of Barça's international players have been asked about Flick's statement. Thus, its relevance increases, and we no longer know whether we're talking about the remark because it's significant, or if it's significant because we keep talking about it.

Let's discuss it, then. Taking advantage of the La Liga break, let's review our history and see if it's true that egos kill success. And if we interpret Flick as an example of modern leadership, one that puts collective commitment before personal whims, we'll understand his message as a warning. A warning against whims and à la carte efforts, which contradict the exemplary spirit of players in recent history like Carles Puyol or, looking further ahead, Guillermo Amor. But, at the same time, if we're honest, we must also admit that the posters we hung in our bedrooms or the stars we imitated in the playground were the embodiment of talent and charisma, yes, but also of a happily excessive ego.

For gifted players, ego can be an intimate motivation

Trinidad and Tobago runner Ato Boldon said: "My performance has managed to catch up with my ego." Ego can be an intimate motivation that gifted athletes use as competitive fuel. Based on what Flick said, it's clear that he respects the private dimension of egos, but at the same time, he emphasizes the priority of respecting collective commitment. In elite football , however, this is hardly applicable. The entire marketing and media structure is based on values ​​in which egotism and individual brands drain the prestige of clubs. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo don't practice the same egotism, but their coaches know that, neither now nor in the past, can they demand the same commitment from them as the rest of the team.

In the club's recent history, have egos interfered with the team? Of course, but coaches had to find a way—and didn't always succeed—to manage them without losing authority, credibility, and, above all, performance. After a fun, electric, and stimulating first season, now that Barça will be playing an inhuman number of games in an inhuman stretch of the calendar, Flick will have to reaffirm his convictions. He won't be able to combat the history of football and the club, but just as he has led a vertical, attacking frenzy that simplifies the style guide and the offside as the height of his love of risk, he must convey an ideology that, rather than eradicate them, negotiates with the age-old evidence of egos. And now, with your permission, I'm off to watch Turkey-Spain praying that Lamine Yamal and the other Barça players don't get injured (fear also has hierarchies). And since we're confessing and returning to the subject of egos, I admit it: I'm the kind of miserable Barça fan who doesn't want Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or this year so he doesn't get carried away.