Barcelona coach Hansi Flick admitted on Monday that he did not want his grandchildren to see him behaving as he did when he was sent off after making an obscene gesture as he celebrated a late winner against Girona.
Flick had received a first yellow card on Saturday for protesting against a refereeing decision. He collected a second for gesturing with a raised finger after Ronald Araujo scored in added time to give Barcelona a 2-1 win.
The red card means Flick will be banned from the bench when second-placed Barcelona visit La Liga leaders Real Madrid in Sunday’s Clasico.
Flick said that his behaviour had changed since arriving in Barcelona, illustrating his point by reviving memories of one of Barcelona’s greatest humiliations when they lost 8-2 to the German’s Bayern Munich side in 2020.
“Maybe my emotions aren’t the same as before. I remember when I was coach of Bayern Munich, the footage of the match against Barca showed that I had the same reaction to the first, second, and eighth goals. People said I never smiled!” Flick told a press conference ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League match with Olympiacos on Tuesday.
“Right now, I’m showing more emotion, it’s true, because this club has completely changed me,” he said.
“I really love this club, I give the best of myself. And I don’t like seeing myself in this state on television either, and I don’t want my grandchildren to see their grandfather like that. So I probably have to change my behaviour.”
Some Barcelona officials criticised Saturday’s referee, Flick was more conciliatory.
The referee “decided to see it differently, and that’s something I have to accept,” he said.
Flick also refused to be drawn into responding to a question about whether officials favour Real Madrid.
“What do I say? I’ve been here for 16 months; you (journalists) have been here much longer and know more. I don’t want to say anything about it,” he said.
In addition to long-term absentees Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Joan Garcia, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Flick said that forwards Raphinha and Ferran Torres were not fully fit and would miss the Champions League game in the hope that they could play in El Clasico.
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