Speaking ahead of Barcelona’s high-stakes La Liga trip to Atletico Madrid, Flick threw his full support behind his star player’s stance on inclusion. The German coach emphasised that the football community must unite to eradicate hate speech and promote integration values.
Addressing the fallout from the international break during his press conference, Flick said: “I think his message was very clear. We live and breathe football every day, and we must promote values of integration and inclusion. It's frustrating that a minority doesn't understand this. We need to reflect and work to improve this situation. There is no place for racism, not in football, not in life. Never. We must all be in this together and respect each other, regardless of skin colour, religion, or origin.”