Gavi angry at Flick after benching, De Jong's return praised
On Sunday evening at the Camp Nou, the rising midfielder Gavi sat on the bench for ninety minutes during the El Clásico, while coach Hansi Flick started the recovered Dutchman Frenkie de Jong. The Catalan newspaper El Nacional reported that Gavi was dissatisfied with his limited playing time.
Gavi's displeasure with Flick
El Nacional described Gavi as “very disappointed with the result and his limited playing time after the match against Real Madrid”. He already knew that a starting place was unlikely, but had hoped to contribute as a substitute. The newspaper also named Karim Adeyemi and Gavi as the two Barcelona players who were “very angry” at Hansi Flick; Adeyemi expressed disappointment because Anthony Gordon was preferred on the left.
The regular midfield of Barcelona – Pedri, Rodri and Fermín Lopez – is normally guaranteed playing time, especially after the loss of Dani Olmo. Nevertheless, coach Flick kept Gavi on the bench for the full ninety minutes, while he watched De Jong, recovered from a serious knee injury, enter the field. “He had to watch the whole match from the bench and saw Frenkie de Jong come onto the field before him. A gesture he could not appreciate at all,” wrote El Nacional.
Flick rejects excuses after the Classic defeat at Camp Nou
De Jong's return receives praise
After his return, De Jong recorded 17 successful passes out of 19, five runs and a blocked shot in a quarter of an hour of playing time, according to SPORT. The paper praised his personality and suggested that he is becoming a candidate to gradually take the leading role, while he demanded a starting place.
noted that De Jong “chose a bad day to reappear”, but “did not shy away from responsibility, demanded the ball and wanted to prove that he was not a reserve”. El País wrote that Flick “just when it seemed the bench could no longer change anything, brought in Frenkie de Jong; Barcelona's midfield seemed from a completely different team”, and that his arrival gave Barcelona new energy, although Mbappé’s second goal after a loss of possession prevented the comeback.
The varied reactions show how De Jong’s return can restructure Barcelona’s midfield, while the discontent of Gavi and Adeyemi towards Hansi Flick puts pressure on the internal dynamics. How the German coach channels the tensions could be decisive for the upcoming matches of the Catalan giant.