FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said on Wednesday that the Catalans are “ready” to face his former club Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The German won the Bavarians their last UCL crown in 2019/2020, and was the architect of Barca’s darkest European night via the 8-2 thrashing in that edition of the competition’s quarter-finals. A reimagined, Covid-influenced one-and-out format took place in Lisbon.

Four years later, Flick now manages the Blaugrana, who currently sit at the top of La Liga after a series of heavy thrashings against their domestic rivals, and sees his men as well prepared to take on a rival described as Barca’s continental kryptonite.

“We are ready for tomorrow’s match,” Flick said at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

“The matches can be different and many things can happen, they can develop in different directions. During this season we have done very well to focus on a match-by-match basis. Bayern are an excellent team and everyone wants to compete with the best.”

When Flick was asked more specifically whether Bayern is Barça’s bogeyman, he emphasized that only “the here and now is valid”.

“We can’t influence what happened in the past, but we can do it in tomorrow’s match. Of course we want to try to win tomorrow’s match,” he added.

“We prepare for every match because we know the opponent very well. I played there, I trained them. It is an excellent club and I have many acquaintances and a good relationship with players and managers,” said Flick about Bayern.

“(But) a new chapter has begun in my life. I have a very good feeling here and I feel how the fans support us. It is beautiful and forces you to give everything for them. We want to be well prepared.”

Flick was invited to discuss the 8-2 hammering he delivered, and asked if the fans in Barcelona reminded him of it.

“I’ve said it before. Every day I feel the kindness with which the people here treat me. It has nothing to do with the past or a possible future. We work every day for the present. Each of the players has an incredible As union, I think La Masia has a lot of influence on the way the players work.

“Everyone cares about each other and when I think about the moment when Gavi came on (on Sunday against Sevilla), I get goosebumps. That says everything about this team,” he concluded.