Barcelona lost the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against hosts Borussia Dortmund, falling 3-1. However, they advanced to the last four thanks to a 4-0 win in the first leg at Montjuïc.
The Catalan club, led by German coach Hansi Flick, delivered a poor performance and were far from their best, suffering their first defeat of 2025 in all competitions. Nevertheless, they achieved the most important objective: qualifying for the semi-finals.
According to the Spanish newspaper ‘‘El Nacional‘‘, German coach Hansi Flick is unhappy despite Barcelona reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in six years.
Flick is extremely angry with the team’s display against Dortmund, particularly with the two worst-performing players: Ronald Araújo, who was a clear liability in Barcelona’s defense and contributed to Dortmund’s third goal, and French full-back Jules Koundé, who demonstrated that Barcelona urgently needs to sign a top-class right-back next season.
The newspaper reported that Flick has already started considering the possibility of allowing Araújo to leave in the upcoming transfer window, as he believes the Uruguayan does not fit his style of play and is viewed as Barcelona’s weakest defensive link.
It added that Flick remains dissatisfied despite qualification, due to the disastrous performance of full-back Gerard Martin. The player was a major vulnerability in Barcelona’s defense and nearly cost the team its place in the next round, despite the commanding first-leg victory.
Flick reportedly believes Martin posed more of a threat to Barcelona’s goal than the opposing players, and was heard telling his assistant after the match: “He was Borussia Dortmund’s 12th player.”
Hansi Flick also took aim at one of Barcelona’s standout stars this season, the talented Lamine Yamal, who has been in very poor form recently.
Flick is frustrated with Yamal for both his underwhelming performance and his unjustified anger upon being substituted, warning him: “Maintaining this level during the most crucial part of the season will destroy the team’s dreams.”
In a surprising development, Barcelona president Joan Laporta entered the dressing room after the match and approached Hansi Flick directly, urging him not to prioritize Robert Lewandowski at the expense of the team.
Laporta believes Lewandowski should have been substituted earlier due to his ineffective performance and failure to press Dortmund’s defenders, which allowed them to play out from the back with ease. Flick’s apparent desire to help Lewandowski score and strengthen his position in the Champions League top scorer race was evident.
Laporta warned Flick against continuing with this mindset and emphasized the importance of putting the team’s interests above those of any individual player, especially during the final, decisive phase of the season.