FC Barcelona endured a painful defeat in their last outing when they faced Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. The Blaugranes succumbed to a 4-0 defeat in that game, meaning they have a tall mountain to climb in the second leg.
The Catalan team left a lot to be desired in this match, and there is already a process of self-criticism and self-reflection underway in the team. This is clear from a report from The Athletic, which claims that an unplanned meeting took place between the players and Hansi Flick in the Blaugrana training grounds on Friday.
In this meeting, both sides criticized one another. The German coach sternly questioned the players’ attitude and intensity, especially during the first half of that game.
On the other hand, the players also openly talked to the trainer and aired their concerns about his tactics, as they believed holding a high line and high press were not the best ideas in the current circumstances, especially in the absence of key players like Raphinha and Pedri.
The players did not want the whole approach to be discarded, but wanted more pragmatism in bigger matches.
For now, it remains to be seen what implications this meeting will have on the Barcelona team. Hopefully, it will only allow the two parties to take in one another’s ideas, and work out a good balance going forward.
