Flick responds forcefully to Thebes: "I am surprised by some things that happen in Spain ..."

The birthday boy of the day, Hansi Flick, appeared at a press conference prior to the exciting match between FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid,  a commitment corresponding to the first leg of the 'semis' of the Copa del Rey 2024-25. On this occasion, the most relevant topic revolved around the German coach's response to the recent statements of Javier Tebas regarding the precautionary registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.

It should be noted that the president of LaLiga has generated controversy after his incendiary testimony at the 'Desayunos Deportivos' of 'Europa Press', where he openly expressed his opposition to the registration of Dani Olmo. "In August, I expected him to solve his problems, but in the last three days they wanted to solve everything quickly and they couldn't. Olmo signed being aware that he might not play after December. The society that was paying (the VIP boxes) did not seem solvent, everything went to the CSD and in 24 hours it was resolved. Olmo should not finish LaLiga with Barça," Tebas pointed out.

"Olmo should not finish LaLiga with Barça"

In response to this testimony, Hansi Flick preferred not to delve into the topic, although he threw a small 'jab' at the ecosystem of Spanish football. "I don't want to comment on that. Now he can play and that's what matters. The current situation is this, I am very happy that he can play. We will see what happens, I am always surprised by some things that happen in Spain and in relation to Barça," he emphasized.

"I am always surprised by some things that happen in Spain and in relation to Barça"

The coach referred again to the issue of refereeing

Regarding Spanish football, the German coach has once again referred to refereeing, this time highlighting the importance of referees acting appropriately when the game becomes excessively rough to protect players. "I wouldn't say that referees should protect a specific player, but all of them. The VAR should look at hard tackles to show red cards to prevent these actions. We need to protect footballers if there is a foul. It also happened to us with Dani and Casadó. There should be more sensitivity regarding this. If they see a yellow card, defenders might think twice before committing another foul," he specified.

The starting position of Dani Olmo against Atlético and the Casadó-De Jong debate

In another line of argument, Hansi Flick also allowed himself to address a couple of points. First, he referred to the option that Dani Olmo be a starter against Atlético de Madrid,  a topic about which the German coach has given good news. "I think so, he is ready to be a starter and play 90 minutes. For me, the most important thing is that he can start from the beginning,  we have to take care of him and that is what we have been doing. The goal he scored against Las Palmas was very important," he noted.

"I think so, he is ready to be a starter and play 90 minutes"

Regarding the debate over who should be a starter against the 'colchonero' team between the Barça youth player Marc Casadó and Frenkie de Jong, the native of Heidelberg has been quite enigmatic in his statements. "In this position, we have very good quality. Right now, everyone is at a very good level. They can offer us different things. We have to decide what will work best for us, but we will do it tomorrow," he warned. 

The commitment against Atlético de Madrid

As expected, Hansi Flick also analyzed his expectations for the match between 'colchoneros' and culés. "It's a new match, we start from scratch again. They are a great team, they have invested a lot, they have the best defense and incredible players in attack. It will be a tough match," he stated.

Additionally, the coach of FC Barcelona revealed that he has taken note of the mistakes made in the LaLiga match against the 'Indians', where the team lost 1-2, and provided the keys to obtaining a favorable result in the clash. "The positive thing we learned is that we can play very good football, we showed a very high level. We could have scored one or two more goals. When we have opportunities, we need to score. In a match, what matters is scoring more than the opponent," he added.

The current situation of FC Barcelona

Finally, Hansi Flick wanted to address the current situation of the team, expressing pride in the recent performance of his players and the results they have achieved, as well as the positive dynamic that is being experienced in the Barcelona team. "What I like most about here is that we are united, all of us. We all like to wear these colors. We are practically a family. This is the most important aspect. Everyone knows what to do to help the team," he began to say.

"I am responsible for managing, but we have wonderful experts who help the players bring out the best version of themselves. It is very nice, it is not common, we have a very young squad. We have 22 field players who are in good shape and it is not always easy. This shows that everyone is doing an excellent job," he concluded.

"We have 22 field players who are in good shape and it is not always easy"

At the same time, the German has emphasized the burden of the match calendar that the Catalan team will have to face and whether this will affect the team, especially with upcoming international commitments. "From what I've heard, I don't know if I'm sure, Benfica has also been canceled and will have a week to prepare for the match. LaLiga could change the calendar, but it is not in our hands. In Germany, it was possible to talk to the Federation, here too, I hope it can be improved for the future," he added.

"LaLiga could change the calendar, but it is not in our hands"

Closing the topic of the current situation of the Catalan team, Hansi Flick did not hesitate to point out that FC Barcelona is ready to face the important series of commitments that lie ahead in the best way. "We are going all out in every match. The match tomorrow is the most important and we want to show what we are capable of. The attitude and the atmosphere are very remarkable and very good," he concluded.