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• Flick believes possession-based style makes him ideal Barcelona boss

  Hansi Flick believes the philosophy and principles of Barcelona closely resemble his own and is excited to get started after succeeding Xavi at Camp Nou.

  On Wednesday, Barca confirmed former Bayern Munich boss Flick had signed a two-year contract to take over as head coach following Xavi's surprise dismissal. 

  Xavi had initially announced his departure in January, only for president Joan Laporta to convince him to conduct a U-turn and commit his future to the club. Amid reports of unrest behind the scenes, Barca then decided to part ways with the former midfielder.

  Flick, who won two Bundesliga titles and the Champions League during a two-year spell with Bayern, is committed to conforming to Barca's traditions.

  "It's a big honour and a dream for me to sign my contract here in Barcelona, with this amazing club," he told the club's media channels.

  "The club is unbelievable. In the hours I was here in Barcelona, it has been amazing. Everyone loves the club and wants to have success.

  "The philosophy they have for the club, it's similar to mine, with more possession and really attacking football. These are the things I love.

  "Barcelona has one of the best academies in the world, a mix between some of the best players in the world and young, talented players. 

  "I won some titles with Bayern Munich and my hunger for titles is really big. I would like to stay on this path with Barcelona and I think we can achieve a lot together."

  Flick's Bayern side were known for their high-pressing, possession-based brand of football. 

  Between his appointment in November 2019 and his exit in June 2021, they averaged the highest possession share in the Bundesliga (62.55 per cent) and won the ball in the final third 489 times, 172 clear of Borussia Dortmund, who were second by that metric (317).

  They also led the way for wins (45), total shots (1,023) and goals (174) in that span, averaging exactly three goals per Bundesliga outing.

  Barca will hope Flick's arrival gets more out of Robert Lewandowski, who set the Bundesliga's single-season goal record under him in 2020-21, netting 41 times in 29 matches.

• Flick takes over at Barcelona following Xavi's U-turn sacking

  Hansi Flick has been appointed the new head coach of Barcelona following the club's shock decision to sack Xavi.

  A club announcement on Wednesday revealed Flick will take over ahead of next season after penning a two-year deal at Camp Nou.

  Xavi initially announced in January he would leave Barca at the end of the season, but club president Joan Laporta managed to convince him to prolong his tenure.

  However, just 30 days after that U-turn was announced, the club reversed its decision again, stating Xavi would be dismissed come the end of the campaign.

  On Wednesday, the club formally announced Xavi's backroom staff would join him in departing, thanking the former midfielder for his "commitment, dedication and generosity" as well as his willingness to work towards a mutual termination of his contract. 

  With Xavi out the door, former Bayern Munich boss Flick will take over ahead of next season, looking to improve on the Catalan giants' runners-up finish in LaLiga behind rivals Real Madrid and their quarter-final Champions League exit this term.

  Flick's last role was with the national team of Germany, though he lasted just over two years in that job as they crashed out at the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

  The German football federation initially stuck with Flick after that tournament, only to dismiss him after three successive friendly defeats last year.

  Flick enjoyed more success in his most recent club role, leading Bayern to two Bundesliga titles, as well as a treble that included the club's sixth Champions League crown during his maiden campaign in charge in 2019-2020.

  Flick would retain the Bundesliga title the next season, as well as adding the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup trophies before taking over the Germany role from Joachim Low.

  Flick finished his time at Bayern with a win percentage of 80 per cent over his 145 matches in charge.

  After then winning just 12 of his 25 games at the helm of Germany, Flick will be hoping for a stark improvement during his new role in Spain.

• Medvedev battles into French Open second round after Koepfer triumph

  Daniil Medvedev staved off a Dominik Koepfer fightback to record a battling victory in the French Open first round on Monday.

  The world number five raced out the blocks on Court Simonne-Mathieu and eventually triumphed 6-3 6-4 5-7 6-3 in Paris.

  Medvedev, a five-time major runner-up and 2021 US Open champion, broke Koepfer's first service game in the French capital with that a seeming sign of things to come.

  Though the 28-year-old dropped his serve in the first set, Medvedev had little trouble in responding with the score finely poised at 3-2 to claim first blood at Roland-Garros.

  The fifth seed has only ever gone as far as the quarter-finals, three years ago, at the French Open but showed his clinical best to snatch the second set after holding all six service games for a narrow triumph.

  World number 65 Koepfer battled back in the third but the resilient Medvedev responded by breaking his German opponent early in the fourth set, finally securing victory in just over three hours.

  Data Debrief: Medvedev gets better of Koepfer again

  Medvedev has won all four of his meetings with Koepfer, with his most recent such victory seeing him reach the second round at Roland-Garros for the third time in eight attempts.

  Since the start of the 2021 season, Medvedev is 27-1 against players ranked outside the top 50 at major events, with his only loss in that run coming against Seyboth Wild in the French Open first round last year.

  Koepfer, meanwhile, extends to 1-17 against top-10 players in his career, earning his only such victory against over Gael Monfils – then ranked ninth in the world – at the 2020 ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome.