One of the main objectives that Barcelona have had in recent weeks is appointing a new fitness coach to work alongside Hansi Flick, and after weeks of searching, they have finally managed to bring their man in.
Fitness training is obviously crucial for all football teams, but given the way that Flick wants his side to play, it is undoubtedly been more important at Barcelona. This is why they have spent weeks finding the best candidate, and [their search is now over](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/report-reveals-identity-of-hansi-flicks-new-barcelona-fitness-coach/).
On Monday, [Barcelona confirmed in an official statement](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4531230/fc-barcelona-appoints-benjamin-kugel-as-the-new-fitness-coach-in-hansi-flicks-coaching-staff) that Benjamin Kugel has been appointed as the new first team fitness coach.
**“FC Barcelona has appointed Benjamin Kugel as the new fitness coach in Hansi Flick’s coaching staff. The German joins the club after an extensive career in European football and the international game.”**
Kugel arrives at Barcelona with a good reputation, having worked at clubs including Werder Bremen, FC Köln, PSV Eindhoven and Benfica. He also spent almost 10 years as part of the coaching staff of the German national team, where he worked alongside Flick, including during the successful 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign when both were under the orders of Joachim Low.
Kugel will officially start working with Flick and the rest of the Barcelona coaching staff when pre-season begins next week. His job will be one of the most important in the lead-up to the 2026-27 campaign starting in August, so he will be able to test his credentials immediately.
It remains to be seen how Kugel gets on at Barcelona. Pre-season will be a good barometer to see where things are for Flick, given that two of his trusted assistants left his staff at the end of the last season, while previous physical trainer Julio Tous was also reassigned to work with lower level teams – which is one of the reasons why Kugel has been brought in.