After their defeat to PSG in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona are back in action on Sunday as they take on Sevilla in La Liga.Having tasted their first loss of the season in midweek, the Catala...
After their defeat to PSG in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona are back in action on Sunday as they take on Sevilla in La Liga.
Having tasted their first loss of the season in midweek, the Catalan giants will be intent on producing a strong reaction and going into the international break on the back of a victory.
Ahead of the trip to Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, manager Hansi Flick spoke to the media, addressing the situation surrounding Lamine Yamal and the recurrence of his pubic discomfort, which has ruled him out for two to three weeks.
On Lamine Yamal’s situation
“He felt fine. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have played against PSG. I’ve spoken to him, he’s better today, but he’s not fit to play,” said Flick, dismissing any notion that Lamine may have been rushed back from injury for the PSG match.
On how to manage the youngster’s situation moving forward, the Barcelona manager noted:
“I spoke to Lamine this morning. We talk every day. And we tell him how we can help him. Everyone knows how good he is, but it’s my responsibility to give him playing time when he comes back.
“And I will. If players aren’t 100 per cent fit, they focus on their strengths. He’s incredible with the ball, but you also have to be good without it. You have to manage the minutes well.”
When probed about Lamine’s return date, Flick was non-committal, as he said: “We don’t know when Lamine will be back because with this injury, it’s not easy to know, as it’s not a muscle injury. We don’t know if he’ll be back in two, three or four weeks.
“I don’t know if he’ll be ready for El Clasico. We have to manage his minutes. He’ll work with the recovery team. He’ll take it step by step. We’ll see how he progresses.”
Injured again. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Flick was then asked about his comments directed at Spain manager Luis de la Fuente and his handling of Lamine’s fitness during last month’s international break. In response, the Barcelona head coach stated:
“The situation you’re talking about happened after the last league break, and I just want to protect my player and support him. That’s what this is about. It’s water under the bridge. It’s in the past now. I don’t think negatively. These things happen.
“I’ve been on the other side too. It’s not easy. I have to protect my player, and that’s why I made those comments. I admit that I may have made them more strongly than usual.”
On the Sevilla clash and PSG loss
Coming back to Sevilla and the kind of challenge they will pose for Barcelona on Sunday, Flick remarked:
“They’re a very intense team with an aggressive style. It’s sure to be a tough game. We know our opponents well, they have their own style and good support behind them. It will be difficult.”
On what he and the team have learnt from the midweek loss to PSG, Flick noted: “We’re back in La Liga and the match against Sevilla is very important for us. We want to take all three points.
“Everyone is sad after the defeat. We have to be smarter and more intelligent. We have to learn from everything and we will.”
On whether the high-line tactic was exposed by PSG, he added: “Our idea of pressing the opposition is vitally important in our game, it’s our mentality. We have to do it. If there’s no pressure on the ball, the back line can’t be so high up the pitch.
“We’ve improved in recent games. But we have to keep working on it. It’s not the end. We have to keep going.”
When probed about his past comments about ‘egos’ and whether he had seen any changes since, Flick remarked:
“We want everyone to be involved. We’re not just talking about the players, we’re talking about everyone, coaches, clubs… fans. Everyone is hungry to win every title. And not to focus on themselves. That’s what we want. We need respect for this team.
“I appreciate what I’ve seen after the last break. The attitude has been positive and the training has been good. You can see that we believe in what we’re doing. The defeat to PSG can happen, they’re a fantastic team, but we have to keep going.”
On international call-ups
Bernal’s Spain U-21 call-up has caused concerns at Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Regarding the debate of club vs national team and the distribution of minutes for players, Flick explained:
“It’s part of the life of a very good footballer. Everyone wants to play for the national team. We have to manage the minutes together.
“If a player is good and important for his national team, he will play. It’s good to have players with their national teams. But it has to be managed well.”
Barcelona have also been left upset by Marc Bernal’s call-up to the Spain U-21 squad, when the player has only featured for 20 minutes since returning from an injury after a year.
“Marc Bernal isn’t ready to play many minutes and it’s a difficult situation. Right now, he’s not ready for many minutes. He’s coming off a serious injury that lasted over a year,” Flick remarked.
“He’s not 100 per cent. He’s not at the same physical level he was before the injury. The Federation should be careful and take care of him.”
On being asked for his opinion on the changes proposed to the international window next season, wherein FIFA is merging the September and October international windows into a single, longer 16-day break from September 21 to October 6, he said:
“I don’t have a firm opinion on that. It has nothing to do with my objectives. I don’t know if it will be good or not. Maybe it’s good for the Federation to have their players for more days… but I don’t have an opinion.”
When further probed about the conflict with Spain boss De la Fuente, Flick stated: “I don’t regret what I said. I wanted to protect my players; it was my way of saying we had to stop. It was the right thing to do. Maybe it’s good for you to have a good story.
“But it’s water under the bridge now. Now we have to focus on the present and the future. But it’s in the past now. The important thing is to manage the situation together: the players, the clubs, the national team…”
Source: Mundo Deportivo
Category: General Sports
