By
SABC Sport
15th January 2026
Barcelona lifted the Super Cup with a convincing win over Real Madrid, but Flick stressed that success meant nothing going into a one-off cup match against highly motivated opposition.
Racing are top of the Segunda Division and earned national attention by knocking out Villarreal in the previous round.
"Sometimes you have to enjoy moments, because things can change very quickly," Flick said ahead of the round-of-16 clash. "We won our first title, but that is already in the past. Now we have to look forward."
The German coach warned that Racing's performance against Villarreal showed exactly what Barcelona should expect. Villarreal are among the leading sides in La Liga, making Racing's victory a clear statement of intent.
"Racing will want to beat us, and they did very well against Villarreal," Flick said. "They are a young and brave team that plays good football. This is the Cup, and we have to be ready from the first minute."
Flick also spoke about the atmosphere awaiting his players, predicting a lively stadium and an opponent driven by belief. "They will be very motivated. There will be excitement when they welcome us, so we have to play at our best," he added.
Barcelona recently strengthened their squad by bringing Joao Cancelo back on loan from Al Hilal for the rest of the season. Flick confirmed the Portugal international was an option but stressed competition in defence remains strong.
"We have a lot of good solutions," he said. "With Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Gerard Martin and Ronald Araujo, we are doing things well. Joao can give us quality, especially going forward, and he is a very good option."
Flick insisted the message to his squad was simple: reputation counts for nothing in the Copa del Rey, and only a serious, focused performance will be enough to keep Barcelona's trophy ambitions alive.
