After Barcelona’s heartbreaking 1-2 loss against Atletico Madrid, the mood in the dressing room was noticeably heavy, with players visibly crushed by the defeat.
Interestingly, despite the setback, manager Hansi Flick did his best to lift the spirits of the team.
In fact, according to reports from SPORT, he entered the locker room with a positive and energetic attitude, aiming to provide a boost to a group of players struggling to come to terms with the result, but nothing came out of it.
What did Flick do?
Flick, much like in previous disappointing performances, such as the games against Las Palmas or Leganes, showed his usual serious and frustrated demeanour after some underwhelming results.
However, this time, he chose a different approach. With a more animated and optimistic posture, he congratulated his players on the way they had responded on the pitch.
Hansi Flick praised his players after the defeat against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Flick expressed his satisfaction with their overall effort, highlighting that the performance they displayed was exactly what he expected from them throughout the remainder of the season.
A more psychological approach
Aware of the team’s emotional state, Flick used a psychological approach, focusing on the positives rather than dwelling on mistakes.
He acknowledged that the final moments of the match, particularly the goal from Alexander Sorloth, could have been better managed, but he chose to emphasise the determination the team showed in pushing back against Atletico Madrid.
Despite his motivational efforts, many of the key players left the dressing room visibly downcast, with some expressing regret over the defeat.
Some players were upset about their lack of playing time, while others were frustrated by their perceived failure to contribute enough during the match. The loss weighed heavily on the team’s morale.
The following day, Flick continued with his motivational efforts, aiming to prepare the squad for the second half of the season.
Although the plan was initially to focus on a light recovery session, the coach ultimately decided that more words of encouragement were needed to help the players regroup and look forward to future challenges.