Barcelona coach, Hansi Flick, has admitted that he needs to change his behaviour after being shown a red card during his team’s 2-1 win over Girona on Saturday.
Flick was first booked for protesting a referee’s decision and later received a second yellow for making an obscene gesture while celebrating Ronald Araujo’s stoppage-time winner. His dismissal means he’ll miss Sunday’s El Clasico clash against league leaders Real Madrid.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Olympiacos, Flick said he was embarrassed by his actions and didn’t want his grandchildren to see him behave that way.
“I don’t like seeing myself like that on television, and I don’t want my grandchildren to see their grandfather acting that way. So, I probably have to change my behaviour,” Flick confessed.
He admitted that coaching Barcelona has made him more emotional compared to his time at Bayern Munich, recalling how calm he had been even when Bayern humiliated Barca 8–2 in 2020.
“At Bayern, I reacted the same to every goal, even in that 8-2 match. People said I never smiled. But this club has changed me, I feel more emotion here,” he said.
While some Barcelona officials criticised the referee’s handling of the Girona match, Flick took a more diplomatic approach.
“The referee saw things differently, and I have to accept that,” he said.
When asked whether referees tend to favour Real Madrid, Flick declined to comment.
“I’ve only been here 16 months, you journalists have been around longer. I’d rather not say anything about that,” he added.
Barcelona will face Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday without several key players, including Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Joan Garcia, and Marc-André ter Stegen. Forwards Raphinha and Ferran Torres are also sidelined but could return in time for El Clasico.
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