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

The German won Bayern their last UCL title in 2019/2020 and was the architect of Barca’s darkest European night, defeating them 8-2 in this edition of the competition’s quarter-final, a reimagined, Covid-influenced, on-and-off Format place in Lisbon.

Four years on, Flick now leads the Blaugrana, who currently sit at the top of La Liga after a series of vicious drubbings against their domestic rivals, and also sees his side well-prepared to face a rival described as Barca’s continental kryptonite

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

“The games can be different and a lot of things can happen, they can go in different directions. This season we have done a great job of concentrating game by game. Bayern are an excellent team and everyone wants to compete with the best.”

Asked specifically whether Bayern were Barca’s bogeyman, Flick emphasized that only “the here and now” applies.

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

“We prepare for every game and know the opponent very well. I played there, I coached him. It’s an excellent club and I have a lot of friends and a good relationship with players and managers,” said Flick about Bayern.

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

Flick was invited to speak about the 8-2 defeat he scored and asked if the fans in Barcelona would remind him of it.

“I’ve said it before. Every day I feel the kindness with which the people here treat me. This has nothing to do with the past or a possible future. We work for the present every day. Each of the players has something incredible.” I think La Masia has a big influence on how the players work.

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