Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has waxed lyrical about the style of football that Hansi Flick has instilled at Barcelona.
The Premier League and La Liga giants square off at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening in the fifth game of the League Phase in the Champions League.
Barcelona's visits to West London over the years have always been high-profile affairs, and this is the first time that the teams have squared off since March 2018.
In the present, though, there is anticipation over how Maresca's and Flick's respective style of football will gel when both managers prefer possession-based strategies.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Maresca admitted that he was a huge admirer of how the Catalan giants are playing under Flick.
Hansi Flick head coach of Barcelona pictured in August 2025
Maresca heaps praise on Flick, Barcelona
The Italian told reporters: "I think they're spectacular, it's a team that whenever I look at it there are things that can be learned, things that can be looked at, how they attack, how they defend, which in the end has given them the chance to win La Liga last year, to get to the Champions League semi-final.
"They do a lot of things very well and it's a team that always wants initiative, always wants value and we try to do the same on our side."
At a time when there has been a focus on Premier League teams playing a certain level of emphasis on set pieces, Maresca was also quizzed on whether tiki-taka football - introduced by Pep Guardiola during his time at Camp Nou - was being eradicated from the game.
He responded: "I decide to be a manager because of a Pep [Guardiola] team, Barcelona, years ago. If clubs or teams decide with a different style. I've said many times: any team can decide the way they want to play.
"I chose mine years ago and this will be the way I like to watch my team playing football and in the future. I don't think no one can be compared to that Barcelona, to Pep, because I think they changed football in Spain, where every club was trying to play in that way and then Pep moved to Germany, and everyone was trying to play that way in Germany.
"I think Pep came in England, and many clubs tried to do something similar and also England in terms of the international team. I don't think anyone can be compared to Pep because I think in the last 20-25 years he changed football."
As well as witnessing Guardiola's football from the outside, Maresca also learned from the Spaniard during his time coaching Manchester City's Under-23-side and as an assistant in the first-team setup.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca pictured on October 29, 2025
How do Maresca and Flick compare?
Maresca and Flick started their respective roles at a similar time and each can claim to have enjoyed success.
In 82 games at Chelsea, Maresca has prevailed on 52 occasions and lifted the Conference League and Club World Cup trophies.
Meanwhile, Flick has won 56 of his 77 matches in charge of Barcelona, delivering a treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana in his first campaign.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have scored 175 goals from 82 games under Maresca, while Barcelona have netted an incredible 222 strikes during Flick's reign.
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