Former Real Madrid star backs Barcelona for success despite recent losses – ‘This isn’t a crisis’ | OneFootball

Barcelona’s season went from bad to worse after the club fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Girona.

The defeat came just days after Barcelona succumbed to a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey semifinals.

In light of the recent results, former Real Madrid player Santi Canizares offered his take on Barcelona’s season as well as its coach, Hansi Flick.

What Canizares said about Barcelona

In a recent interview on Radio MARCA, Canizares claimed that he believes Barcelona are still favourites to win the Champions League and refused to call this a crisis.

“This isn’t a crisis; Barça create a lot of chances. I’d be worried if they weren’t creating chances, not if they weren’t converting them. The team has the talent to win the UEFA Champions League,” he said.

However, the former goalkeeper did point out that Barcelona’s defence looks weak compared to other top teams, adding that Joan Garcia shouldn’t be under so much pressure.

“Defensively, they can’t be so weak. It’s not normal for their goalkeeper to have so much work at a big club,” he said.

Is Joan Garcia being overworked at Barcelona? (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Canizares, though, defended Hansi Flick’s aggressive style of play and admitted he still prefers a more attacking Barcelona.

“Barça has a midfield and attack that are among the best in Europe. Facing them means knowing you’re going to be attacked from all sides. But if you’re so good up front, you can’t be so weak at the back. There’s a lack of balance,” he said.

“He shouldn’t change his philosophy, but rather adjust the system so that the creative players also learn to defend,” he added.

Finally, the former Real Madrid goalkeeper heaped praise on Hansi Flick for being direct about his defeats and not making too many excuses.

“Flick has hardly ever complained; he’s won every national title, and now that things are going badly, he continues to choose his words carefully. He was brilliant when he said, ‘The referee was just as bad as us’.

“This summarises the character of a coach who doesn’t make excuses and who knows that the real challenge lies within the dressing room,” he concluded.