Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has criticised La Liga’s rescheduling of the game with Osasuna on Thursday due to the short turnaround following the international break, Afrosport reports.
The fixture was rescheduled due to the sudden passing of Barcelona doctor Carles Minarro Garcia, but Flick expressed his concerns for some of his players who will be unavailable, notably Brazilian winger Raphinha and Uruguay centre-back Ronald Araujo, who were in action less than 48 hours ago.
While the other 11 players who were on international duty, including Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski, are available, Flick is concerned they have not fully recovered but is not using that as an excuse.
“I’m not happy with this. And also, when you see other leagues, how they handle it with teams, with the clubs they play in the Champions League, it’s totally different than here.
“I think it’s when you play in the Champions League, it’s not about Real Madrid against Barca. It’s about, you know, to protect your team, your Spanish teams.
“That they have success in this (competition). But it’s not. I cannot change it, okay? I cannot change it. And we don’t look about that. But it’s only my opinion, okay. When I’m here and you ask me about that because we played this. I said no excuses.”
The German tactician added: “It’s something it’s not good. But we have to accept it. It’s like that, and they decide this, and of course, I think yeah, we cannot change. We cannot change. The club cannot change it.
“They said, okay, you have to play, and we have to play. I think maybe for it’s a task for UEFA for FIFA after the international break that they say, okay, it’s necessary that the players have a rest 2 or 3 days.
“So, this is the only thing I think you can change it. But at the end it’s like that, we play, we have to play. And La Liga they said okay play and we say, yes, we do it.”
HANSI FLICK: “We have to play these games. I cannot change it. No excuses.”#BarçaOsasuna pic.twitter.com/D182llaoRO
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 26, 2025
Flick’s side will be looking to extend their seven-game winning streak and move three points clear of rivals Real Madrid at the top of the standings.
