Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick held a press conference on Sunday ahead of the La Liga clash against Rayo Vallecano, discussing the team’s chances of clinching first place, Araujo’s availability, and Bellingham’s recent red card incident.
Barcelona’s Chances for First Place
Barcelona faces Rayo Vallecano at the Montjuic on Monday, with a win propelling them to the top of the La Liga table after both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid dropped points.
“We don’t look at the other teams. We’ll look at the standings and see how we’ll be at the end of the season,” Flick stated. “We’ve played some good games this year. In training, the players are having a good time. They want to show how good they are and the mentality they have. We have to keep going like this.”
The ‘Blaugrana‘ have the opportunity to reclaim the lead they lost two months ago due to a slump in form. Flick cautioned his team against underestimating Rayo Vallecano: “Rayo are doing a good job. It’s not easy to play against them, with pressure and high intensity. They have done very well and that’s why they are succeeding.”
Araujo’s Availability
Regarding player availability, Flick confirmed that Ronald Araujo “will be on the squad list,” though his chances of playing time remain uncertain. Araujo reportedly sustained an ankle injury during the previous match against Sevilla and was unable to complete the subsequent training session.
Bellingham’s Red Card Controversy
The England international received a red card during Real Madrid’s draw against Osasuna. He was dismissed after reportedly using offensive language “f*** you” towards the referee. Bellingham claimed a misunderstanding, stating he used a different “f*** off” phrase expressing his confusion over a decision and had no intention of insulting the official.
“When you say this to me, I think it’s not nice. It’s disrespectful,” Flick commented on the incident. “But I don’t have to decide about these situations. My opinion on this, and that’s what I tell my players all the time, is why would you waste your energy discussing with a referee and questioning a decision?
He added: “For me, we have one person on the pitch entitled to do that, and it is the captain. We have to accept that. I honestly don’t like this bad behaviour with referees and I insisted that to my players. It’s not good for the team when any player does it, you might get a red card and I definitely don’t want that.” Flick emphasized the importance of respecting officials and focusing on the game.