Hansi Flick talks Raphinha, Yamal, Frenkie, Rashford, Lewandowski ahead of Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona | OneFootball

The March international break has ended, and players have returned to their respective clubs to resume club football across Europe. This is also the case with FC Barcelona, where the team is already preparing for the La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid.

Ahead of this game, Hansi Flick talked to the press and addressed several topics related to the Blaugrana team and its upcoming matches. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the German coach was keen to see his team not repeat the mistakes it made in its last visit to the Metropolitano:

“Yes, it’s a match against one of the best teams in La Liga and Europe. They have a lot of quality, and any player can decide the match. It’s very important not to make as many mistakes as in the last match there. I liked today’s training, and two very important months remain.”

Despite his injury and stay in Brazil, the Barcelona coach revealed that he was in contact with Raphinha:

“These things happen. It’s an injury, and we have to deal with it; it’s part of football and life. It’s not the best moment, neither for him nor for us. He was very sad about this, and we’re not happy. We have many players, and we will see how we deal with it without him. He went to Brazil. We talked via FaceTime, also with Deco, so he could be calmer and clearer in his mind. We agreed he would stay a few days to rest in Brazil with his family. Sometimes you have to make different decisions with players.”

Hansi Flick made quite a strong statement against racism when asked about the chants in the Spain-Egypt friendly:

“Lamine made a fantastic statement. In the world of football, we are here for inclusion. It was frustrating; it’s a small number of idiots who don’t understand this. It’s time to think and improve. Not just in football, but in life. Racism doesn’t fit. It’s about all of us being together. We all want to be respected, no matter skin color, race, or religion. Nothing. We don’t want racism. It’s time to change all these thoughts.”

The German coach shared how he had quite a good experience during his last holiday:

“It’s part of life. The experience at Tibidabo was very nice with my granddaughter. I spent two hours there to clear my mind. I recommend the free fall to everyone.”

The Barcelona trainer revealed that Frenkie de Jong was not yet fully recovered:

“The positive news is that we have recovered Kounde, Balde, and Eric. Next week, he [Frenkie] can start training with the group, but step by step. We must wait.”

Flick was also open to making his players adapt their shoes in accordance with the pitch in the upcoming game:

“We’ve talked about it. I’ve told the players to look at this, and maybe change their studs. They have to prepare and adapt.”

The German coach also praised the Blaugrana Women’s team:

“I really enjoyed it. I liked what I saw. It’s another level. Barça played very well physically, technically, and mentally. They dominate the game.”

Similarly, he also praised La Masia and the club overall:

“More than 2,600 players have been on the fields here (Barça Academy World Tour), and La Masia’s philosophy is fantastic. You feel it here, how you grow with this philosophy and start living it. La Masia does many things, and many are done well.”

The Barcelona coach believed Rashford has a great opportunity awaiting him:

“I’ve said before that I am happy with him. In recent weeks, he has had some physical problems, but now he has a great opportunity. It’s like Gavi, who has returned to his level in training.”

Despite him not being able to qualify for the World Cup, Hansi Flick believed Lewandowski would be fully focused for the upcoming games:

“He played 90 minutes in both matches. He is very professional, and thinking that he won’t be able to play in the World Cup makes him very sad, but this is part of life. Now he will focus on what we need from him in the coming weeks.”

Lastly, the German coach praised Atletico Madrid and highlighted how difficult it would be to play against them:

“No, it’s always tough against them, and they have one of the best coaches in the world. I like what I see from them and how they play. They have some of the best players in the world, like Griezmann. Their players are fantastic, and the atmosphere at their stadium is magnificent too.”

There is no doubt that this game will be a highly difficult one, especially as Barcelona are only four points ahead of Real Madrid in the league table. Hopefully, Hansi Flick will be able to get the job done in this match, to retain some security in La Liga going into the final phase of the season.