As things stand, FC Barcelona will have to do without coach Hansi Flick in Sunday’s eagerly awaited El Clásico at Real Madrid. However, the Catalans are still contesting the ruling.
Hansi Flick himself recently confirmed that, as coach of FC Barcelona, he is sometimes much more emotional on the sidelines than he was during his time at FC Bayern or as national coach: “This club has completely changed me.”
However, his emotional outbursts are increasingly getting him into trouble in Spain. In the late 2-1 home win against Girona last weekend, for example, Flick had to watch the final moments of the game and the late lucky punch from the stands. Referee Jesus Gil Manzano showed Flick not only a yellow card but ultimately even a yellow-red card within seconds of injury time.
The referee’s report later stated that Flick had first “protested” and then made a “disapproving” gesture. Barcelona’s head coach later explained that the applause was for his player Frenkie de Jong and that he could not understand the second yellow card. Flick also had an explanation for his subsequent disparaging gesture of celebration from the stands: “That at the end was not directed at anyone. Maybe it was because of our game, because of our performance, or because we won like that.”
Catalans appeal to the appeals committee
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed the expected one-match ban on Wednesday afternoon, meaning that Flick will only be allowed to sit in the stands for Sunday’s eagerly awaited Clasico against archrivals Real Madrid. A win away from home would see Barcelona overtake Los Blancos, while a defeat would see the gap widen to five points.
However, Barcelona is still fighting for Flick to be able to sit on the bench at the legendary Bernabeu after all. As Spanish media unanimously reported on Wednesday after the ruling, the club does not accept the penalty and will appeal to the appeals committee.
