A new Barcelona, with five changes from the team that had certified against Getafe, the seventh consecutive victory in the League, stood in Pamplona. “It is normal that there are rotations, there are many games,” justified Pedri, Barça captain in El Sadar. This time, Hansi Flick’s formula did not work. “It’s not an excuse. The 11 of us had to leave mentally prepared. The result at half-time penalized us,” continued the Canary Islander. Barcelona took the field with three players who played in Primera RFEF last season: Pau Víctor, Sergi Domínguez and Gerard Martín. Furthermore, the average age of the team was 23.18 years. An average age that Lewandowski raised (36). Without the Pole, it dropped to 21.9. “We have made many changes in the team and perhaps that is the reason that explains the defeat. But the many changes are no excuse, we had no other option,” added Hansi Flick.
Flick has never complained about his group, on the contrary. “I am very happy with the squad I have,” said the German coach, at the close of the last transfer market. He trusted the experienced players, the homegrown players – “The level of the young people is very high,” explained the coach; but, above all, he sought to become a club coach. Without statements that were understood by the board as a sign of protest, much less as an excuse. He did not even complain when seven footballers (Ter Stegen, Araujo, Olmo, De Jong, Gavi, Christensen and Fermín) accumulated in the Barcelona infirmary, 32% of the squad. And if Marc Bernal, with a reserve team record, is taken into account, there are eight injured. “There are no excuses with the casualties, we can manage them,” said Flick. The results backed it up, as did the game. Barcelona did not stop winning in the League, at the same time that Barça football grew. Until Barça arrived in Pamplona.
“You have to accept these defeats. We haven’t played very well. It is my responsibility to protect the players, because they have been playing for a lot of minutes. But I didn’t expect us to play like this. I have told the team that we have to move forward. We play on Tuesday, Sunday… and we are on the right path,” said Hansi Flick. Along the same lines, Pedri added: “The first half we were not good. We didn’t go well in the game. The second goal penalizes us. In the second half, we deserved a little more, but goals came when we were at our best.”
From the outset, at the dawn of the League, Flick wanted to consolidate his idea of the game. And he did it from a starting eleven without too many changes. But while Barcelona added victories, the coach accumulated confidence to bet on young people. It was the time of mass rotations, successful against Villarreal and Getafe. Pamplona, however, got stuck. “From what I heard it is an incredible atmosphere, a beautiful stadium. But for a player this is good, because you can give 100% and show everyone your quality,” said Flick, in the preview. Barça was stunned by the noise of El Sadar and the football of Vicente Moreno’s team. Flick’s rotations were left unanswered in Pamplona. “After the national team break, players will return, we will have more to choose from. The changes were necessary, there are many games and many minutes accumulated,” the German coach insisted.
