

La Liga
Flick Reacts To Barcelona’s Demanding Kickoff Schedule
Barcelona coach, Hansi Flick, lauded his team’s resilience as they continue to compete on three fronts this season.
However, he expressed frustration over the timing of their upcoming La Liga match against Celta Vigo, stating that he wished to provide his players with more rest.
League leaders Barcelona have progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League after overcoming Borussia Dortmund on aggregate. Additionally, they are set to face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final later this month.
With a four-point lead over Real Madrid, Barcelona has the opportunity to extend their advantage in the title race when they face Celta Vigo on Saturday.
However, Flick criticized the league for not scheduling the match later in the day instead of an early kickoff.
Flick said players need more time to rest as they arrive back in Barcelona very late from away games in Europe and do not get into bed until 5 am.
”Every league protects their clubs, especially when they play in the semi-finals of the Champions League. It’s unbelievable, we have no time to rest,” Flick told reporters on Friday.
”For me, the guys responsible for that – I want to discuss it with them… I don’t want to make excuses or complain. I’m happy we’re not playing on Sunday at 2:00 pm against Valladolid.
”But why can’t we play at 6:00 pm like we normally do? Give me one reason. To me, it’s a joke, and it affects Spanish football. The rest of the teams in the European leagues benefit.
”I’m speechless because this situation is unbelievable. In the Bundesliga or Premier League, they take care of their clubs… They (LaLiga) have no idea what this (arriving late) means for the players.”
Celta Vigo currently sits seventh in the standings, vying for a spot in European competition. Flick praised their 37-year-old coach, Claudio Giraldez, who took over this season and has revitalized a club that finished in the bottom half for the last three campaigns.
”I have the highest respect for his work, he’s coached a great team… it has nothing to do with his age,” Flick said.
”Celta have a clear idea of how they want to play, they’re very brave in their build-up.
”For us, it’s important we show our strengths, maybe what we missed in Dortmund. We spoke about the situations we had in Dortmund and we have to do better tomorrow… We have to play at our highest level. Also, they like their away matches.”