Flick: "Defeat Against Atlético Madrid Was Painful, We Learned a Big Lesson in the First 45 Minutes"

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed his disappointment after the heavy four-goal defeat against Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, acknowledging that his team did not perform as required in the first half.

Following the match, Flick stated: "We didn't play well in the first half; we didn't play as a team. The distance between players was too great, and we didn't press. In the first 45 minutes, we learned a big lesson. The ending was better. We still have the second leg, and we will fight."

Despite the harsh result, the German coach emphasized his support for his players, saying: "I am not frustrated with the team. I am happy with the season we've had. We suffered many injuries, and losing is part of the game. It was a painful defeat, but I am proud of the team. We must learn the lesson." Flick added: "They were hungrier to score goals, and that's what I want. We didn't do that in the first 45 minutes. The team is young, but I'm not looking for excuses."

Flick also expressed his dissatisfaction with some refereeing decisions during the match, explaining: "What can I say? We started with yellow cards; the first tackle on Balde certainly deserved a card. Everything would have been different if it had been shown. For me, it was chaotic. Did play stop for seven minutes? Did they find something? For me, there was no offside. If they saw something, they should say so, but there was no communication."

Flick concluded by asserting that the loss against Atlético was not the worst this season, adding: "No, the worst was against Inter. Now we have a chance to come back. It won't be easy, but we will try."