Flick points to a freshness problem after defeats to PSG and Real Madrid

On a cold evening in Seville, Hansi Flick stood before the press and admitted that the recent defeat to Real Madrid was not unexpected. The German coach pointed to a clear lack of freshness at Barcelona, a factor which, according to him, explained the two consecutive defeats.

Freshness as a core problem

Flick emphasized that both the heavy defeat to Paris Saint‑Germain in the Champions League and the disappointment in El Clásico against Real Madrid were due to a lack of full fitness. ‘I am not satisfied’, he said, ‘it was clear that we were not one hundred percent fresh. It is our first defeat in ten competitive matches.’

The coach added that the players did not perform at their best and that this was directly linked to their energy levels. He pointed out that in top matches the smallest details, such as recovery, can make the difference.

Intensive schedule under scrutiny

Flick highlighted the tight schedule: on Saturday 17 October Barcelona played at Real Betis, and three days later they faced PSG in the Champions League. ‘We play everywhere and nowhere, sometimes there are only two days between two fixtures. Three hours on a plane from Seville to Paris is a lot’, he said.

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He refused to accept excuses and stated that the truth was that the team was not fresh. According to Flick, a change now needs to come in the approach to nutrition, sleep and recovery to regain the energy.

For the coming week Barcelona have a training session on Monday, after which the players get two days off. Some players will travel to London for the Ballon d’Or‑gala, but the coach wants everyone to be fully fresh again afterwards.

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Flick does not believe this defeat will lead to a free fall for the club. ‘This defeat does not cause doubts in the team. Everyone is aware of the situation. In top matches it is the details that make the difference, and this time luck was not on our side.’