Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed his deep anger at the Catalan club’s players for what he called laxity and a lack of effort during Barça’s 3-0 victory over Mallorca in the Blaugrana’s La Liga opener.
Barcelona led 2-0 in the first 25 minutes, followed by two red cards for Mallorca and a nine-man game. However, Barça didn’t score another goal until the final minute through Lamine Yamal. The home side also posed a significant threat to Joan Garcia’s goal despite being down 2-0.
Flick told the media after the match, “I didn’t like the team’s performance. After the two red cards and being two goals ahead, we had to show a stronger side, but we only played at 50%. We could have done much better.”
He added, “It’s essential to maintain control of the ball, but the most important thing is to score and continue pressing. We can’t play at only 50 or 60 percent against a team with nine men.”
He concluded, speaking about the refereeing controversy, “I always tell the team that we have to keep playing until the referee blows the whistle. Ultimately, decisions are made by the referee, not us, and we have to respect that.”
After the victory over Mallorca, Barcelona will visit Levante next Saturday, before facing Rayo Vallecano in their final match before the international break in September.
