Flick: Neymar return to Barcelona “not my job”
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick says it is not his role to decide whether the Catalan club should reunite with Neymar this summer.
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Flick comments on possible Neymar return
Neymar, 33, left Al Hilal to return to Brazilian club Santos in January on a short-term deal.
The Brazil international said he remains open for a possible return to Europe later this year.
Recent reports suggest that Neymar is pushing to rejoin Barca, the club he left for Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record €222 million transfer in 2017.
“It’s not my job,” Flick said when asked if he would be interested in signing Neymar.
“I said this before. Now I am really focused on this team until the end of the season because we have big opportunities.”
“We want to keep them focused and the coach has to be focused as well. This is not my job, this is a job for [sporting director] Deco and the club, so they will do this.”
Neymar has scored three goals and provided three assists since signing for Santos.
All set for Benfica match
Meanwhile, Flick insists his focus is solely on Wednesday’s first-leg Champions League match of the last 16 against Benfica in Lisbon.
Barca is among the favorites to win the European competition this year, but the German boss dismissed the idea that his side should cruise through to the later stages.
“In this phase, there is no easy game,” said Flick.
“Tomorrow we play in a great stadium. It’s a special atmosphere. They are pushing a lot, they push their team. It will be really tough for us tomorrow.”
The two teams also met in the league phase this year, with Barca securing a come-from-behind 5-4 win in January.
“I hope we are better prepared for the counter-attack they have and the dynamic they showed in the match four weeks ago,” Flick added.
“They are one of the best transition teams in the Champions League. [Coach] Bruno [Lage] has done a great job; they are confident in how they want to play.
“They have their idea how they want to play; we have ours. I think both of us have a good strategy, so we will see what happens.”
