Barcelona has ‘completely changed me’, says Flick after sideline antics

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick revealed on Monday that his time at the Catalan club had transformed him as he spoke candidly on the eve of the Champions League clash with Olympiacos Piraeus.

The match comes at a critical time after defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the group stage for Barca, who were just minutes away from reaching their first Champions League final in a decade in Flick’s first year in charge last season.

The German coach acknowledged his recent emotional outbursts, including being sent off during the Spanish champions’ dramatic 2-1 win over Girona in La Liga on Saturday when Ronald Araujo’s injury-time save secured victory.

The 60-year-old Flick, who was shown a red card for allegedly protesting refereeing decisions in the final minutes of the match, said he was overwhelmed with emotion.

“I am not more nervous, maybe my emotions are not the same as before,” he told a press conference on Monday.

“I remember when I coached Bayern Munich, there were images of us winning 8-2 against Barcelona, ​​​​and I never laughed at the eight goals.

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«Now I have more emotions; this club has changed me completely. What I can say is that I love this club, I love Barcelona, ​​I love the people here, it’s incredible, and I give everything for this club.»

“To be honest, I don’t like these things when I see myself on TV, and I don’t like my grandchildren seeing their grandfather like this, so maybe I need to change my behavior.”

Barcelona are going through a challenging period with a spate of injuries to key players including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo.

Flick has limited attacking options and will likely field a trio of Fermin Lopez on the left wing, Marcus Rashford as a central striker and 18-year-old Lamine Yamal on the right against Olympiacos.

“Marcus can be a number 9 or a number 11. When we think of him, we appreciate the fact that he can play in more than one position,” said Flick. «He has given us a lot of positive qualities and of course he can play as a striker.»

Barcelona are currently 16th in the Champions League with three points from two games, while Olympiacos are 29th with one point.

The Catalan club has appealed Flick’s exclusion, aiming to ensure he will be on the sidelines on Saturday at Real Madrid, who trail second-placed Barcelona by two points in La Liga, although the coach acknowledged this is a gamble.

“I had nothing against the referee, I didn’t complain to him, but he saw it that way and I have to accept it,” Flick said.

«Today the atmosphere was very good. I like this atmosphere. We are a young team that needs this.»

Published on October 20, 2025