Flick after the Clasico loss: I'm not satisfied with the performance and we have to accept the defeat
Hansi Flick, coach of FC Barcelona (Photo/Archive)
Barcelona, Spain – Barcelona coach Hansi Flick admitted he was dissatisfied with his team’s performance in their 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in the tenth round of the Spanish League, noting that physical fatigue affected his players’ performance after a difficult week that saw two consecutive defeats.
Barcelona suffered a defeat against their traditional rivals at the “Spotify Camp Nou” stadium, following a 2-4 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last Tuesday, thus ending the Catalan team’s winning streak in the league.
Flick told DAZN that he was not satisfied with the performance, explaining that the team lacked the usual freshness and physical readiness, which was clearly evident during the match.
The German coach added that Barcelona played a better second half and managed to control periods of the match after equalizing, but the team did not capitalize on its attempts to score a second goal, while Real Madrid took advantage of a counter-attack and scored the winning goal.
Flick added that losing is part of football, stressing the need to accept the result and deal with it positively, despite the disappointment he feels after missing the opportunity to come away with a better result from El Clasico.
Flick demands the restoration of physical fitness
The Barcelona coach pointed out that his team had not been performing at its best recently, considering that the players’ physical condition was one of the factors affecting the result, especially after the succession of matches in various competitions.
Flick explained that Barcelona had played 10 league matches before suffering their first defeat in the competition, stressing that the team needs to take advantage of the upcoming break to recover its energy and prepare better for the next match.
He said the players need to get away from the football atmosphere for a while, referring to the importance of rest and recovery after the busy schedule of matches that has put physical strain on the team.
Speaking to the club’s media, Flick reiterated that Barcelona lacked the necessary readiness to face Real Madrid, despite improved performance after the break, noting that his team had opportunities to take the lead after equalizing, but failed to capitalize on them.
He added that the team made mistakes that cost them goals, calling on his players to review what happened and work on correcting the negatives in the coming period.
Barcelona’s next match date
Despite the Clasico loss, Flick stressed that Barcelona are still top of the Spanish league, urging his players to regain focus and energy before returning to competition.
The Catalan team will have a week to prepare for their next match against Alaves at the “Spotify Camp Nou” stadium, in an attempt to regain their balance and put an end to the series of defeats, after the loss to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.