Hansi Flick: “Conceding four goals is too much”

I began writing for OKDIARIO in July 2022 after graduating in Journalism from Carlos III University of Madrid.

Hansi Flick faced the media following Barcelona’s first defeat in La Liga this season. The German coach explained his feelings after the match against Osasuna, who were superior from start to finish throughout the 90 minutes. Now, the Blaugrana must put this setback behind them and focus on the Champions League, where they will play against Young Boys next Tuesday at Montjuic.

“You have to accept these defeats. We did not play well. I believe it is my responsibility because the players have a lot of minutes in their legs. I did not expect us to play like this,” began the Barcelona coach. “We play Tuesday and Sunday, and we are on the right track,” added Hansi Flick.

“We made a lot of mistakes. They did very well. There was a foul on the second goal. I’m not sure because I haven’t seen it, but from what I’ve heard, there was a foul at the start of the play, and that makes the difference,” Flick remarked regarding the potential foul on Pau Victor before Bryan Zaragoza’s goal.

“Conceding four goals is too much,” continued the German coach. When asked about the controversial refereeing decisions, Hansi Flick stated, “My job is not to talk to the referees.”

Finally, the German discussed player management and Robert Lewandowski’s substitution while trailing: “Lewandowski needs to rest. Everyone needs to rest. We have a match every three days, and we do this for the good of the team, and so far, we have done very well.”

“We were not good in the first half. We did not start the match well. The second goal punished us. In the second half, we deserved a bit more, but goals came when we were doing better,” said the Canary Islander.

“We had to go for the game after the halftime score. We had to go all out, and they hurt us on the counter,” he added. Regarding the rotations: “It is normal to have rotations; there are many matches. It’s not an excuse. We needed all 11 to be mentally prepared, and the halftime result punished us.”

Lastly, Pedri commented on the 2-0 goal: “For me, it’s a clear foul. Then there is a penalty on Lamine that is very evident. I told the referee it is clear that he stepped on him. Against Rayo, they disallowed a goal for a play where he stepped on less.”