Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, believes that this break will be crucial for getting the team back on track after being trapped in a cycle of failure.
Every time they stepped onto the field, it felt like a bitter taste of defeat or the shock of losing points—Barcelona’s situation was getting worse, and Flick couldn’t find a way out. After their home loss to Atletico Madrid in the final match of the year, he said the team desperately needs this break.
Barcelona had an excellent start to the season in their quest to reclaim the La Liga title. They won 11 of their first 12 matches, firmly establishing themselves at the top of the table. However, by the beginning of last month, they suddenly lost their way, winning only one match since then.
Despite struggling, their performance in the first half of Saturday’s match was promising, with Pedri scoring to give them the lead. However, after halftime, they conceded a goal to Rodrigo de Paul, bringing the game level. The match seemed to be heading for a draw, but in the final minute of stoppage time, Atletico stunned the hosts as Alexander Sorloth scored, giving them a 2-1 victory. This was Atletico’s first league win at Barcelona’s stadium since 2006.
For Atletico, the victory was a major boost, while for Barcelona, it was another setback. In their last seven league matches, they have dropped points in six, with four losses, two draws, and just one win. They’ve now lost three consecutive home matches.
Among all the statistics, the most concerning thing is that their poor form has continued, and they have lost their place at the top of the table.
With no matches remaining this year, Flick believes this break is exactly what the team needs in their current dire situation. After the match, he openly shared his thoughts on this.
“Now we have a break, and I think everyone needs it. After the break, we’ll train again and show how strong we can be,” Flick said.
“We’re all very disappointed with this loss because the players played wonderfully. Now, we’ll celebrate the holidays and resume training on December 29. We’ll focus on what we can do in the second half of the season.”
Atletico, who were 10 points behind Barcelona at the start of last month, now find themselves 3 points ahead as the year ends.
Atletico has 41 points from 18 matches (12 wins, 5 draws), while Barcelona drops to second place with 38 points from 19 matches.
