Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has expressed his regret over the recent injury to Fermin Lopez, admitting he feels responsible for the young player’s situation. “I feel guilty about Fermín’s injury” Flick said. “He played two tournaments in the summer. I should’ve spoken to the Spain U21 coach but I didn’t because I thought I had just arrived at Barça.”
🚨🎙️| Hansi Flick: "I feel guilty about Fermín's injury. He played two tournaments in the summer. I should've spoken to the Spain U21 coach but I didn't because I thought I had just arrived." #fcblive pic.twitter.com/YbaOUugdOD
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) September 18, 2024
Flick, however, remains confident about Barcelona’s ambitions in the Champions League, a tournament the club is aiming to win. “We can win the Champions League” the German stated boldly. “Big clubs like Barça want to win titles, and the Champions League is the best competition in the world. We’re ready to play against the best.”
As Barcelona gears up for their Champions League clash with Monaco later today, Flick will be looking for a better result than the last meeting between the two sides in August, where Monaco claimed a dominant 3-0 victory in Catalunya in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Meanwhile, Jules Kounde has echoed the concerns of many top players regarding the increasingly congested fixture schedule. “Every year we have more games and less rest” he said. “We players have been saying this for 3-4 years now but nobody pays attention to us. The time will come when we will have to go on strike to make ourselves heard, as Rodri said.” His comments come just days after Rodri voiced similar concerns, raising questions about player welfare in the midst of packed schedules.