Hansi Flick is far from pleased with this change; in fact, he wants to be more restrained as Barcelona’s coach.
Germans and football have long been associated with discipline and structure, and Flick himself was always a model of composure. His emotions rarely surfaced, either in words or body language. But now, he is different. Unable to fully control his feelings, he even received a red card. Reflecting on it, Flick admits that since joining Barcelona, he is discovering a new side of himself.
Last Saturday, in a dramatic La Liga victory over Girona, Flick was shown a red card late in the match after protesting a referee’s decision. This means he will miss Barcelona’s crucial clash against Real Madrid next Sunday.
Ahead of the Champions League match against Greek club Olympiacos, Flick candidly admitted at a press conference that he had been overwhelmed by emotion. “Since arriving at Barcelona, I’ve been swept up in waves of emotion,” he confessed openly.
“I’m not as nervous as before, and perhaps I don’t express my emotions the same way. I remember my time at Bayern Munich — even after that 8-2 win over Barcelona, we had all the pictures, but nobody saw me smiling. Now, my emotions are much stronger. This club has completely changed me.”
“I can say this: I love this club. I love Barcelona. I love the people here, and it’s incredible. I’ve given everything I have for this club.”
Despite this outpouring of emotion, Flick wants to maintain control. The 60-year-old coach acknowledges he needs to be more measured.
“To be honest, I don’t like seeing myself behave this way. Watching it on TV… my grandchildren see their grandfather like this, and I don’t like it. That’s why I need to change my behavior.”
Barcelona has appealed Flick’s red card, and the outcome is still pending. Flick insists that he did nothing deserving of a red card but accepts the referee’s decision.
“I hold no grudge against the referee. I wasn’t accusing him then either… but he made his judgment, and I have to accept it.”
