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 Montju\u00efc.
\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
According to the Spanish newspaper \u2018\u2018El Nacional\u2018\u2018, German coach Hansi Flick is unhappy despite Barcelona reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in six years.
\nFlick is extremely angry with the team\u2019s display against Dortmund, particularly with the two worst-performing players: Ronald Ara\u00fajo, who was a clear liability in Barcelona\u2019s defense and contributed to Dortmund\u2019s third goal, and French full-back Jules Kound\u00e9, who demonstrated that Barcelona urgently needs to sign a top-class right-back next season.<\/p>\n
The newspaper reported that Flick has already started considering the possibility of allowing Ara\u00fajo to leave in the upcoming transfer window, as he believes the Uruguayan does not fit his style of play and is viewed as Barcelona\u2019s weakest defensive link.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s defense and nearly cost the team its place in the next round, despite the commanding first-leg victory.<\/p>\n
Flick reportedly believes Martin posed more of a threat to Barcelona\u2019s goal than the opposing players, and was heard telling his assistant after the match: \u201cHe was Borussia Dortmund\u2019s 12th player.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hansi Flick also took aim at one of Barcelona\u2019s standout stars this season, the talented Lamine Yamal, who has been in very poor form recently.
\nFlick is frustrated with Yamal for both his underwhelming performance and his unjustified anger upon being substituted, warning him: \u201cMaintaining this level during the most crucial part of the season will destroy the team\u2019s dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.
\nLaporta believes Lewandowski should have been substituted earlier due to his ineffective performance and failure to press Dortmund\u2019s defenders, which allowed them to play out from the back with ease. Flick\u2019s apparent desire to help Lewandowski score and strengthen his position in the Champions League top scorer race was evident.<\/p>\n
Laporta warned Flick against continuing with this mindset and emphasized the importance of putting the team\u2019s interests above those of any individual player, especially during the final, decisive phase of the season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 Montju\u00efc. The Catalan club, led by German coach Hansi Flick, delivered a poor performance and were far from their best, suffering their …<\/p>\n