Flick assumes the responsibility associated with Barça's severe reprimand
FC Barcelona, under the guidance of Hansi Flick, had been dominating La Liga, but fate had other plans. For the first time in the season, the German coach experienced a loss, placing the blame squarely on his shoulders. The 2-4 defeat against CA Osasuna was initiated by Bayern Munich's loanee, Bryan Zaragoza.
Flick admitted to making several adjustments to his squad for the game, which might have contributed to the team's errors in the first half. "We committed numerous blunders in the first half, which was unusual. The lineup changes possibly played a part, as we had numerous games and many players had accrued numerous minutes," explained Flick.
He defended his decisions, acknowledging the importance of player management: "I believe it was necessary. We had an exhausting schedule, with many players playing extensive minutes. I must ensure that everyone is well-rested, that's my duty. If anyone needs to be blamed for this loss, then it's me."
Barcelona missed an opportunity to tie their record from the 2013/14 season, where they started the season with eight consecutive victories under Gerardo Martino. In the first half, Zaragoza, a former Barcelona player, played a crucial role for Osasuna: He set up Ante Budimir's opening goal (18') and scored one himself (28'). After Pau Victor netted for Barcelona (53'), Budimir converted a penalty, beating Inaki Pena (72'), who was standing in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Abel Bretones sealed Osasuna's victory with a goal in the 85th minute, but Barcelona's young star Lamine Yamal managed to score his fourth league goal of the season, making it a 4-3 finish.
Reports suggest that Barcelona is looking to bolster their goalkeeping department by signing Wojciech Szczesny, the retired Polish national team goalkeeper, to reverse their fortunes in goal.
Despite the loss, Flick remains atop the table with Barcelona, but he has tasted defeat twice now, having lost to AS Monaco in the Champions League quarterfinals (1-2). Barcelona face Young Boys Bern in their next game, aiming to secure a victory under pressure (21:00 CET/DAZN).
Flick pointed out that The Commission, responsible for player scheduling and rest periods, had approved his decisions to rest some players, despite the team's performance in the first half. After the loss, there were questions about whether The Commission should reevaluate their approach to player management to prevent such outcomes in the future.
