Hansi Flick furious after missing the El Clasico match

Coach Hansi Flick has addressed his disputed celebration following his dismissal in the game against Girona, with the sanction preventing the German coach from attending the season's first El Clasico next weekend.

Drama unfolded in the final minutes when the scoreboard at the Olympic stadium showed only 4 minutes of added time, despite Barcelona pressing hard to find the decisive goal. Flick immediately rushed out to argue with the fourth official, visibly upset. His excessive reaction led to a direct red card, forcing him to leave the technical area, much to the astonishment of Barcelona’s coaching staff.

However, at the most tense moment, Ronald Araujo unexpectedly leapt to head in a cross from Frenkie de Jong, securing a precious 2-1 victory for Barcelona. Upon seeing the goal, Flick, though already sent off, couldn’t contain his emotions and slapped his other arm in a seemingly sarcastic manner. This action sparked immediate controversy, with many believing he was targeting the referee.

In the post-match press conference, Hansi Flick tried to calm the public and denied insulting the referee. He explained: “Football is about emotions, it’s intense. That celebration wasn’t directed at anyone, I was just overly excited. Frenkie was there too and he also got booked. I don’t understand why I got a second yellow. I didn’t do anything against anyone. I accept the referee’s decision. I just clapped to encourage the team to respond better.”

Flick also revealed he tried to approach the main referee Gil Manzano to talk after the match: “I wanted to speak with him but couldn’t. If he doesn’t want to talk to me, that’s fine. I respect the referee’s decision.”

A positive sign for Barcelona is the return of prodigy Lamine Yamal from a groin injury, immediately making an impact by assisting Pedri’s opening goal. However, the young player was substituted early as planned to avoid re-injury.

Flick shared: “He’s fine. We only planned for Yamal to play 60 minutes. Pedri also had to come off because he’s played too much. Toni played the first half, Fermin is back as well. This was the right strategy.”

Despite securing an important win to temporarily overtake Real Madrid in the standings, Barcelona will face a huge challenge in the El Clasico at Bernabeu on October 26 without Hansi Flick on the sidelines. Nevertheless, boosted by the comeback against Girona and the return of key players, the Catalan team remains confident heading to Madrid.

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