Flick’s response to Real Madrid: ‘We don’t act like that nor do we make excuses’

Hansi Flick is generally quiet with his words, but when he speaks, he makes his views unmistakably clear. He avoids controversy, though he hasn’t hesitated to criticize Real Madrid’s actions.

Flick reflects on Ancelotti’s comments about refereeing favoritism towards Real Madrid when he was managing Bayern Munich.

Flick recalls Carlo Ancelotti strongly protesting against what he believed was unjust treatment of Bayern at the Bernabéu during his time in Germany.

According to Florentino Pérez’s letter, these incidents were seen globally, leaving Flick perplexed as to why Real Madrid would make such complaints about officiating.

Flick has distanced himself from the approach Real Madrid often takes to create public unrest when it suits them.

“That’s not how we operate.”

When asked about Florentino Pérez’s letter, Flick replied, “They handled it that way, but that’s not our method. We don’t make excuses.”

He emphasized that he doesn’t align with Real Madrid’s approach: “Every club has its own way. We’re human, and mistakes happen. Referees have a difficult job, and we should respect that.” When asked about Real Madrid’s claim that the league is fixed, Flick responded:

“It’s our fault if we lose points.”

Flick continued, “When I arrived, I made it clear that I didn’t want excuses or complaints. We need to win our games, and we know we’ve lost some points. That’s on us.”

In terms of sports, Flick discussed Barça’s upcoming quarter-final against Valencia.

“It’s a very different match from the 7-1. We’re playing away, and they’ll try to press us. The atmosphere will be different.”

Regarding player availability, he noted:

“Olmo is an option for the second half. Gavi, however, won’t be available for the match due to the protocol. He’s training separately, which is good after the heavy blow he took.”

“Casadó or De Jong? It’s not that simple. People often compare players by their positions, but it’s more intricate than that. We have a match tomorrow and another on Sunday, and we’ll arrive early in the morning. I need all my players, and I’m glad to have options. Frenkie is a great player, but so is Casadó. It doesn’t matter who I choose; what matters is the team.”

“Be cautious with Dani Olmo.”

“Olmo has shown his worth many times. He’s a valuable midfielder who can score and hold onto the ball. But we need to be cautious with him due to his recurring injuries, and he must continue to play.”

Flick remembered the opening match of the season in Valencia, which was a tough game, but Barça managed to make a comeback. He added, “Tomorrow, we can’t win the title, but we could lose it.”

He expressed his excitement about coaching Barça: “Coaching Barça has been a dream. It’s unbelievable to be here on my 60th birthday. I love Barcelona—the city, the food, the sun—but I also love this club. Coaching this team is amazing; I have extraordinary players. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It’s a dream come true.”

Flick discussed potential rotations for the match against Seville. Since the match begins at 9:30 PM and they won’t be able to return from Valencia until late, he said:

“Iñaki Peña won’t play in the Copa. Tek is clearly number one. Iñaki is a fantastic goalkeeper, but we’ve chosen Tek for his personality and style.”