Most managerial stories begin the same way: once, there was a player who decided to hang up his boots and try his luck as a head coach. But sometimes it’s not that easy, even if you played for the best team in the country. Hans-Dieter Flick knows it very well.Although he spent five years with Bayern Munich during his 14-year-long playing career, the German started coaching with the fifth-tier (now Bundesliga) side Hoffenheim in 2000. Yet, after failing to reach the Bundesliga 2, Flick left the club in 2005.As if he had given up on his head coach career, he was the assistant manager at Red Bull Salzburg and the German national team, as well as Hoffenheim’s sporting director. But the leading role always somehow slipped out of his hands. Or perhaps he successfully avoided it on purpose.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Yet, as the popular saying states, If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammad will go to the mountain, the coaching job simply came to Flick all of a sudden.In July 2019, the tactician joined his former club, Bayern, as a part of Niko Kovac’s staff and the Croat’s assistant manager, without having a clue of what was going to happen only four months later. In November, Kovac left the Bavarians by mutual consent and Flick was promoted to the interim manager position.Hansi Flick was Niko Kovac’s assistant at Bayern Munich back in 2019. Tonight, they will face each other in the Champions League quarter-final as Dortmund take on Barcelona. 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/f7sCPTXKWQ— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 9, 2025 Five months later, the popular Hansi got a new three-year contract, and from that point, his career just went upwards. From winning the treble with Bayern in his maiden season, over becoming the national team head coach, to joining Barcelona last May and becoming the primary favourite to win the Champions League with the Catalans.Nevertheless, his past has returned, and it will try to torment him as Borussia Dortmund, led by Flick’s former mentor, Kovac, stand in Barca’s UCL path.5 – @FCBarcelona are unbeaten in their five European competition meetings vs Borussia Dortmund (W3 D2). Only against Lyon (8), Napoli (6), and Werder Bremen (6) have they gone more unbeaten in Europe. Favourite.#Barcelona 💙❤#ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/6sJk432qcA— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 9, 2025 However, the tables have turned since 2006, when the two met in Salzburg and especially since 2019. Now Hansi is the “big gun” of European football and the utmost favourite against his former teacher, but he’ll still have to prove himself on the pitch.The upcoming 180 minutes (excluding potential extra time) at Estadi de Montjuic and Signal Iduna Park will show whether the student has become the master or Kovac hasn’t taught Hansi everything he knows.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – QUARTER-FINALSFirst legTuesdayArsenal – Real Madrid 3-0 (0-0)/Rice 58, 70, Merino 75/Bayern – Inter 1-2 (0-1)/Muller 85 – Lautaro 38, Frattesi 88/Wednesday 22.00: (1.37) Barcelona (5.10) Dortmund (7.75)22.00: (1.42) PSG (5.00) Aston Villa (7.00)***odds are subject to change***
