Flick ahead of the Atletico clash: Barcelona star in a bad psychological state... and there’s no place for fools among us

Flick said about the Atlético Madrid match: “Yes, it’s a game against one of the best teams in the league and in Europe. They have great quality, and any player is capable of deciding the match. It’s very important that we don’t make many mistakes like we did in the last game there. I liked today’s training session, and we have two very important months ahead.”

As for whether tomorrow’s match is the easiest of the next three against Atlético Madrid, he replied: “No, games against them are always difficult, and they have one of the best coaches in the world. I like what they do and how they play. They have outstanding players like Antoine Griezmann. Their team is great, and the atmosphere in their stadium is amazing too.”

Asked whether he was worried about playing at the Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid’s home ground, he said: “We talked about that. I told the players they have to pay attention and maybe change their boots. They have to prepare and adapt.”

Flick was asked, “Who is responsible for Raphinha’s injury with his national team, Brazil?”, and he replied, “It’s an injury, and we have to live with it; it’s part of football and of life. The timing isn’t ideal—neither for him nor for us. He was very sad, and we’re not happy either. We have many players, and we’ll see how we deal with his absence.”

Regarding giving him leave after returning from the Brazilian national team, he explained, “That’s normal. Players go to their national teams, and the others also get days off. This isn’t the first injury this season. I spoke to him and saw he was in a bad psychological state, so I gave him a few days. He’s in good hands.”

Flick continued, “It was my decision for him to stay in Brazil with his family for a few days. In this case, we decided to handle things differently.”

Regarding his comment on the racist chants that were heard during the Spain vs. Egypt friendly match last Tuesday, and their impact on his player Lamine Yamal, Flick said, "I think Lamine put out a great statement. In football we are here for inclusion. It’s frustrating that there is a small group of idiots who don’t understand that. It’s time to reflect and improve, not only in football, but in life."

He added, "Racism has no place. It’s about everyone, about being together. We all want respect, regardless of skin color or race or anything else. It’s time to change these ideas."

Regarding Frenkie de Jong’s return date, the German coach revealed: “The positive thing is Balde and Koundé are back, as well as Eric. We have to wait a little for Frenkie; maybe he’ll start training next week. Step by step.”

As for Marcus Rashford’s future, with his loan ending at the end of the current season, Flick explained: “I said before that I’m happy with him. In recent weeks he had some physical issues, but now he has a big opportunity. He’s like Gavi, who has returned to his level in training.”

On whether he expects a strong reaction from Robert Lewandowski in the decisive stage of the season, especially after failing to qualify with his national team for the 2026 World Cup, the coach said: “He played 90 minutes in both matches. He’s a very professional player, and not being able to take part in the World Cup makes him sad, but that’s part of life. Now he’s focused on what we need from him in the coming weeks.”

Click here to read article