The crisis in the Real Madrid dressing room overshadowed football in the lead-up to this Sunday’s Clásico at Camp Nou. It happened in Valdebebas, but also in Sant Joan Despí. Hansi Flick appeared punctually in the press room of the Joan Gamper Sports City and, already on the second question, the turbulent moment that Álvaro Arbeloa’s team is going through came to light, without titles for the second consecutive season, now only clinging to preventing Barcelona from celebrating the League right under their noses after the Clásico. For the Blaugrana, with an eleven-point lead over Madrid and only 12 left to play, a draw is enough to be crowned champions.
Flick’s first answer was ambiguous. He did not want to dig into the wound. “Our goal is to win at home. We have a fantastic team and the fans support us. But for them it is also a Clásico and everyone will give one hundred percent. They want to win. The Clásico is important for everyone,” Flick explained. Then he was questioned about conflict management: “The most important thing, and something I appreciate in this club, is that we all move in the same direction. These are not normal situations, but they can happen. They must be managed, talked about and communicated; that’s how we do it here. If something happens, I will think about how to act.”
Finally, he was asked directly about the big conflict of the week: the fight between Tchouaméni and Valverde, which ended with the Uruguayan sidelined and a fine of 500,000 euros for each player. “I think these are things that happen all over the world; it’s not something exclusive to Real Madrid. It surprised me a bit, but it doesn’t worry me because it’s not my team,” the Blaugrana coach concluded.
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Flick was clear about the message he wanted to convey. Even when he was reminded that, after the match against Rayo Vallecano, he had complained about his players’ attitude —“Egos kill success,” he said then— the coach avoided looking towards the Chamartín dressing room. “I don’t want to talk about Real Madrid; it’s not my job. You have to focus on the team, on the we and not on the I. It’s not about ego. Everything must be positive for the group; that’s how we manage it here. That is very important,” he pointed out.
In short, Flick wanted to talk about the possibility that Barcelona will win their second consecutive League. “I focus on this match. It’s not a normal game; it’s special for everyone. I don’t know if it’s the most important, but it is for the club, the fans, the players and the coaches. We want to win the title, the second in a row. We know how to play,” he explained. And he concluded: “We don’t have to do different things. We have had a fantastic season, especially in recent weeks. We play with confidence and we are sure of what we do. There is a connection with the stands. Everyone must be ready for tomorrow.”
