Hansi Flick is typically reserved with his words, but when he speaks, he makes his stance clear. He tends to avoid controversy, yet he has not shied away from critiquing Real Madrid’s actions.
Flick reflects on Ancelotti’s criticisms regarding refereeing bias toward Real Madrid when he was coaching Bayern Munich.
Flick remembers Carlo Ancelotti, during his time in Germany, strongly objecting to what he saw as unfair treatment against Bayern at the Bernabéu.
According to Florentino Pérez’s letter, these incidents were visible worldwide, leaving Flick confused as to why Real Madrid would complain about refereeing in this manner.
Flick has distanced himself from the tactics Real Madrid often employs to stir social unrest when it benefits them.
“That’s not how we operate.”
When asked about Florentino Pérez’s letter, Flick responded, “They approached it that way, but that’s not our approach. We don’t make excuses.”
He emphasized that he doesn’t share Real Madrid’s method: “Every club has its own way. We’re human and we make mistakes. Referees have a tough job, and we should respect that.” When questioned about whether it was disrespectful for Real Madrid to claim that the league is rigged, Flick responded:
“It’s our fault if we drop points.”
Flick continued, “When I arrived, I said I didn’t want excuses or complaints. We have to win our games, and we know we’ve dropped several points. That’s on us.”
On sports matters, Flick discussed Barça’s upcoming quarter-final match in Valencia.
“It’s a very different match from the 7-1. We’re playing away, and they will try to press us. The atmosphere will be different.”
Regarding player availability, he mentioned:
“Olmo is an option for the second half. Gavi, however, is not an option for the match because of the protocol. He’s training separately, which is good after the tough blow he took.”
“Casadó or De Jong? It’s not that simple. You often compare players by their positions, but it’s more complex than that. We have a match tomorrow and another on Sunday, and we’ll arrive in the early morning. I need all my players, and I’m happy to have options. Frenkie is a great player, but so is Casadó. It doesn’t matter who I choose; what’s important is the team.”
“Be cautious with Dani Olmo.”
“Olmo has proven himself many times. He’s a valuable midfielder who can score and maintain possession. But we need to be careful with him because of his recurring injuries, and he must continue to play.”
Flick recalled the season’s opening match in Valencia, which was a tough game, but Barça managed to come back. He added, “Tomorrow, we can’t win the title, but we could lose it.”
He shared his enthusiasm about coaching Barça: “Coaching Barça has been a dream. It’s unbelievable to be here on my 60th birthday. I love Barcelona—the city, the food, the sun—but I also love this club. Coaching this team is fantastic; I have unique players. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It’s a dream come true.”
Flick mentioned potential rotations for the match against Seville. As the match starts at 9:30 PM and they won’t be able to return from Valencia until late, he stated:
“Iñaki Peña won’t play in the Copa. Tek is clearly number one. Iñaki is a fantastic goalkeeper, but we’ve chosen Tek for his personality and style.”
