Hansi Flick talks Yamal, Bernal, Luis de la Fuente, PSG defeat, ahead of Sevilla vs Barcelona | OneFootball

After suffering their first defeat of the 2025-26 season at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona are set to return to action tonight when they face Sevilla in La Liga.

Naturally, Hansi Flick’s side will be looking to get a win in this game, not only to regain their position at the top of the La Liga table, which they lost to Real Madrid last night, but also to restore the morale of the team.

Ahead of this game, the Barcelona coach held his customary press conference, in which he talked about different aspects related to his team and the upcoming match against Sevilla. However, a major part of this presser remained concerned with Lamine Yamal’s injury and his involvement with the Spanish national team.

The main highlights from Flick’s presser ahead of Sevilla vs Barcelona are as follows:

The German tactician started his press conference by previewing the Sevilla team that his side would be facing today:

“They’re a very intense team with an aggressive style. It will definitely be a tough match. We know our opponent well; they have their own style and strong support from their fans. It will be difficult.”

After playing against PSG, Lamine Yamal would once again not be able to play in this match, and Hansi Flick was asked about his situation, to which he replied:

“He felt fine; otherwise, he wouldn’t have played against PSG. I spoke with him — he’s feeling better today, but he’s not ready to play.”

The Barcelona coach was once again asked about his verbal feud with the Spanish national team coach, Luis de la Fuente, and he made it clear that his main aim is to protect his players:

“The situation you mention happened after the last league break, and what I want is to protect and support my player. That’s what it’s about. It’s water under the bridge now. I don’t think negatively.”

“These things happen. I’ve experienced it from the other side too. It’s not easy. I have to protect my player, and that’s why I made those comments. I admit I might have said them more forcefully than usual.”

The German coach also talked about managing Yamal’s minutes carefully, as he is still quite a young player:

“I spoke with Lamine this morning. We talk every day. We tell him how we can help him. Everyone knows about his quality, but it’s my responsibility to manage his minutes when he returns — and I will. If players aren’t at one hundred percent, they focus on their strengths. With the ball, he’s incredible, but you also have to be good without the ball. The minutes must be managed properly.”

Regarding his return from injury, Hansi Flick did not have any specific date or time period in mind:

“We don’t know when Lamine will return, because with this type of injury, it’s not easy to predict, since it’s not a muscle injury. We don’t know if he’ll be back in two, three, or four weeks. I don’t know if he’ll be ready for the Clásico. We have to manage the minutes. He’ll work with the recovery team and take it step by step. We’ll see how he evolves.”

When asked about the players’ physical condition after the PSG game and their involvement with their respective national teams in the upcoming international break, the Barcelona coach was quite empathetic with the players:

“It’s part of the life of a very good footballer. Everyone wants to play for their national team. We have to manage the minutes together. If a player is good and important for his national team, he will play. It’s good that players are with their national teams. But it has to be managed properly.”

Although he has returned from his injury, the German coach made it clear that Marc Bernal is still not yet ready to play a lot of minutes:

“Marc Bernal isn’t ready to play many minutes, and it’s a difficult situation. Right now, he’s not ready for many minutes. He’s coming off a serious injury that lasted over a year. He’s not at one hundred percent. He’s not yet at his previous physical level. The Federation should be careful and take care of him.”

Hansi Flick was reluctant to give his opinion on the change of schedule regarding international teams that will come into force from the next season:

“I don’t have a firm opinion about it. It has nothing to do with my objectives. I don’t know if it will be good or not. Maybe for the Federation it’s good to have their players for more days… but I don’t have an opinion.”

The German tactician wanted his team to be more careful in this upcoming match against Sevilla and learn from their mistakes from the PSG defeat:

“We’re back to La Liga, and the match against Sevilla is very important for us. We want to take all three points. Everyone is sad after the defeat. We have to be smarter and more intelligent. We have to learn from everything, and we will.”

The Barcelona manager made it clear that pressing remains a vital part of his team’s game, even after it was blamed for the defeat to PSG:

“Our idea of pressing the opponent is vital in our game — it’s our mentality. We have to do it. If there’s no pressure on the ball, the back line can’t be so high. We had improved in recent games, but we must keep training it. It’s not the end. We have to keep going.”

“Everyone was disappointed, and when we analyzed the situation, we realized we have to be smarter in some situations. We must always avoid distractions, work as a unit, and learn.”

Hansi Flick also emphasized team spirit and support for the squad after the recent defeat:

“We want everyone’s involvement. It’s about being a unit, a team — that was the reason for last season’s success. Everyone wanted the same thing, was hungry, and didn’t focus on themselves, and that’s the key to having a great season. We’re not just talking about the players — we’re talking about everyone: coaches, clubs, fans. This is what we want. We need respect for this team.”

Lastly, the German coach made it clear that he does not regret his comments on Luis de la Fuente, but also clarified that these comments were aimed only to protect his own players:

“I don’t regret what I said. I wanted to protect my players; it was my way of saying we should stop. It was my way of acting. Maybe it’s a good story for you. But it’s water under the bridge. Now we have to focus on the present and the future. It’s something from the past. The important thing is to manage the situation together — the players, the clubs, the national team.”

Despite repeated clarifications from Hansi Flick, this matter involving him and Luis de la Fuente continues to take the spotlight in Spanish media. Hopefully, this noise will die down soon, as it is bound to impact players like Lamine Yamal, and unless sorted out soon, this can ultimately translate into a decline in their performances, for both Barcelona and Spain.