Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick pulled no punches regarding the officiating against Atletico, using heavy irony to address Pau Cubarsi’s ruled-out strike.
Following a crushing 4-0 defeat at the Metropolitano at the hands of Atletico de Madrid, Hansi Flick cut a frustrated figure. When pressed on the performance of the officials and VAR, the Barcelona coach replied with biting irony: “What do you want me to say?”
“What do you want me to say? To start with, the first foul on Balde should have been a yellow card for Giuliano, which perhaps would have changed the entire complexion of the game. There should have been a second yellow as well,” the German tactician asserted during his post-match press conference.
Flick was particularly incensed by Cubarsi’s disallowed goal, questioning the lengthy delay. “How long do we have to wait? Seven minutes?” he asked, referring to the protracted VAR review. “In my view, it is clearly not offside. I see it very differently. Furthermore, when they disallow it, they offer no explanation. There is zero communication. I simply don’t understand why it was ruled out. It’s a disgrace. It’s a disaster. Did they finally find something after seven minutes?” he fumed.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, he admitted: “The first half was poor. We looked to improve after the break, but the tie isn’t over yet. The return leg remains. We will fight for it, and we will need the backing of our fans at the Camp Nou,” he emphasised.
“At half-time, I highlighted the areas where we needed to improve. During the first 45 minutes, I didn’t see the team I want to see. The second half was a different story; we had our chances,” he argued. “While this is a difficult result to take, we still have the second leg to come,” he added.
Explaining his decision to withdraw Marc Casado before the interval, Flick noted: “I had to take Marc off because he was on a booking and ran the risk of a red card, despite him winning plenty of duels in the middle of the park,” he concluded.
