Die Mannschaft's 4-1 humbling at the hands of Japan in September was the final straw of a dismal tenure that included elimination from the 2022 World Cup at the group stage. Just 12 wins in 25 matches is at odds with what he achieved at Bayern Munich, though.

Flick mopped up seven trophies in two years with Bayern, including a Champions League final win over Paris Saint-Germain. He's calm under pressure, smart and a clear communicator of instructions. He doesn't currently speak Spanish, though. German paper Bild, via AS, suggests he is in the process of learning in case the opportunity arises.

Being able to communicate properly is obviously important. Flick does have Barca attributes in his coaching philosophy—he likes to dictate play with centre-backs controlling the ball, for example—but remove the precision of his communication, and frustration may quickly set in.

There's also the sense the 58-year-old needs to succeed in another job without the, ahem, almost-guaranteed success of Bayern before stepping back into such a huge role.