Every word Hansi Flick said in his Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona press conference including Raphinha update | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to face Atletico Madrid tonight in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, and there is no doubt that this is going to be quite a difficult game for both sides.

Ahead of this game, Hansi Flick held his customary press conference yesterday, in which, as Mundo Deportivo has reported, he talked about the upcoming game and the general condition of his team.

The German coach started by highlighting the difficulty of the upcoming game:

“We’ve had some problems. Rashford isn’t ready; he got a knock. Not good news, but I believe in my team. The situation isn’t easy. We’re playing against a fantastic team. I saw their Copa match against Betis, and it was impressive. Cholo is doing a great job at Atlético. I really appreciate what I saw. It will be a tough match tomorrow.”

Talking about Raphinha, the Barcelona coach highlighted how important he is for the team:

“Step by step. We have to take care of him. He’s a player who gives everything, at high intensity. If he feels something, we have to be careful. This is the situation. I’m not happy because we need him, just like Pedri, Gavi, Andreas, or Marcus.”

“He has sensations in his muscles, and we have to take care of his body. We need to support him and keep an eye on him.”

Flick commented on the pitch at the Metropolitano stadium:

“It’s not ideal because we have to take care of the pitches. In Spain, conditions are usually fantastic. I hope it’s good tomorrow.”

The German coach played down the importance of the home advantage for Atletico:

“These two matches decide who goes to the final. That’s the goal for both. Last season, it was tough. We played at home first. It’s two matches, 180 minutes, and we are ready to reach the final.”

Meanwhile, the Barcelona coach did not want to comment on Atletico’s poor form:

“I’m only focused on this match. I don’t like talking about Madrid. It might be good for you, but I don’t care. If we play them, my focus will be there. Atlético deserves respect. They are a fantastic team. Playing against such opponents at this level is fantastic.”

However, Hansi Flick did not give any hints about his lineup for this game:

“I don’t have a clear idea. We’ll see tomorrow.”

Talking about Ronald Araujo, the German coach also highlighted how important mentality is in football:

“The situation with Ronald, we know. He opened up, and we supported him as much as we could. Opening up like that shows strength. In football, it’s a lot about mentality and focusing on winning. Someday I’ll talk about everything. When he says he spent a year and a half like that… It’s important to take care of players. You have to think about it. As a coach, you take responsibility for all players. You have to think beyond what’s good for yourself.”

Jules Kounde is not going through the best vein of form, but the Barcelona coach was not worried about him:

“Jules is a fighter. He’s always focused. We’re human, and maybe you don’t have your best day, but he’s always fighting, even when he doesn’t start well. I appreciate what he’s doing. He has a top mentality. Tomorrow he’ll show it. It will be a tough match for everyone. I like what I see from Atlético, with a clear philosophy.”

Hansi Flick also highlighted some of the best qualities of Lamine Yamal:

“I’m very happy with everything I see from him. On the field, he is always able to decide games in the right direction. He’s a great player and has everything we like in football: dribbling, one-on-one… He’s very enjoyable to watch. I’m very pleased with what I see. In training, he always wants to improve, and that’s good. He still has to improve and can develop a lot in the coming years.”

The German coach also explained that his earlier remark about Real Madrid being eliminated from the cup was not a dig at their arch-rivals:

“It was a good answer. You have to respect teams from the Segunda as well. Last year we played in Barbastro, then Betis and Valencia, and the results were better than this year. In Albacete and Santander, it was the same. You have to respect these teams. It’s the Copa, and they showed quality. They were able to beat first-division teams. For me, it doesn’t make sense (to argue with those who try to downplay the Cup as Barcelona has not faced any top-tier team in CDR so far this year). It only wastes energy, and I don’t like that.”

For now, Hansi Flick has a difficult challenge awaiting him of taking his side to the Copa del Rey final. Hopefully, he will be successful in this endeavor as well and lead his Barcelona side to a successful defense of the cup title.