Barcelona coach Hansi Flick strongly criticized the performance of his players after the defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final last Thursday, according to what was reported in the newspapers.
The Blaugrana lost four goals in the first half, and they need major compensation in the second leg to qualify for the next round.
The newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, which reported details of Flick’s harsh words, reported that he preferred to postpone the reprimanding of the players until before training on Friday morning.
On Friday morning, Flick told the players: “You were a group without spirit or enthusiasm, without a desire to compete. You appeared in an inappropriate way for a team that wanted to win titles and was standing on the cusp of a final.”
Flick also added: “I do not understand how you could leave the field like this, without a match against an opponent who fought for every ball.”
After this reprimand and a technical review of the match, Flick urged his players to focus on facing Girona in the Spanish League on Monday, considering Atletico’s loss a lesson that must be learned.
On the other hand, Flick did not publicly criticize his players during the post-match press conference. Rather, he said: “I am not disappointed with my team. I am proud of the season it is playing. Atletico was more powerful and hungry to score.”
