Hansi Flick talks Araujo, Gil Manzano, Pedri, Fermin, after Barcelona 2-1 Girona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona finally got back to winning ways as they defeated their regional rivals, Girona, in their first La Liga match following the resumption of club football after the October international break last night.

This was not an easy win for the Blaugranes by any means, and they had to work till the very last seconds, when Ronald Araujo scored the winning goal, to get the full three points.

However, the fact that this win was so hard to get only made the joy of getting this win a lot sweeter for the Catalans. Hansi Flick, who was shown a red card during the match, also expressed his happiness with the win as he spoke to the press after the game.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the German coach took this opportunity to talk about different aspects of his game and some of his decisions.

The main highlights from his post-match presser are as follows:

The Barcelona coach talked about his decision to play Araujo as a forward in the final minutes of the game:

“I’m happy for Ronald. He told me he was willing to play further up… I don’t remember ever putting a defender as a forward before… We tried everything, and in the end it worked out. I’m happy for the team, the club, and the fans. I think it will be a step forward.”

After seeing the red card, Flick had to retreat to the tunnel, from where he saw his team’s winning goal. He celebrated this goal quite heartily, and also talked about this celebration in the presser:

“Football is emotion, also for us. Today we spent a lot of energy, more than we expected. Those are my feelings. It was fantastic to score the second goal and win. The celebration wasn’t for anyone; I just celebrated the goal.”

The Barcelona coach also opened up on the events that led up to his red card:

“Frenkie was there, I said: Come on, Frenkie. Really, it wasn’t meant for the referee. I clapped to encourage my team. Maybe the red card helped us win the game. I tried to talk to Gil Manzano, but he didn’t want to. If he doesn’t want to, that’s his decision — I have to accept it.”

Hansi Flick also explained why Pedri was taken off with the score still 1-1:

“Pedri had accumulated many minutes, so we had to take him off. We had to manage his minutes. The next games are very important — the Champions League and El Clásico. We need Pedri fresh.”

He also explained the decision to bring in Fermin Lopez at half-time:

“You have to make decisions as a coach. Today I wanted to change something, and besides, Fermin was prepared to play 45 minutes. I think the decision was the right one. At halftime, you have a window. If you’re convinced you want to change, you have to do it.”

Despite the win, the Blaugrana coach was clear that his team needs to make some improvements:

“We must improve many things. We don’t press as well as last year. We lack pressure on the ball and the attacking and defensive dynamics we used to have. Everyone celebrated the goal in their own way. We needed that goal.”

The German coach was also clear that this win will bring his team a much-needed confidence boost:

There is no doubt that this was a morale-boosting win for the team, and hopefully, this will help Hansi Flick and Barcelona go into the coming difficult matches with their spirits high.