Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has expressed his frustration following his team’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad in their recent La Liga encounter on Sunday.
In his post-match remarks, Flick emphasized that his team was unjustly denied a “valid and clear goal” during the match, which could have changed the outcome.
During the first half, Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski believed he had scored the opening goal. However, this effort was disallowed after a VAR review, which controversially ruled him offside by what appeared to be a mere toenail.
Subsequent discussions revealed that VAR mistakenly misidentified Lewandowski’s boot, confusing it with that of a defender, leading to the conclusion that his goal should have stood.
Reflecting on the situation during his post-match interview, Flick said, “I reviewed the footage, and it’s evident the decision was incorrect; it was a legitimate goal. The visuals are unmistakable—the goal should have counted.”
Despite this setback, Flick opted not to place blame on the officials, acknowledging the human element in decision-making. He remarked, “We must accept these situations; we all make mistakes. But today’s mistake was significant.”
Analyzing the overall performance of his team, Flick noted that they struggled during the first half against Real Sociedad, particularly as Sheraldo Becker’s first-half goal ultimately secured the win for the hosts. The manager pointed out that Barcelona lacked cohesion and decisiveness leading up to their attempts at goal.
“In the first half, we were on the back foot and found it difficult to cope,” Flick said. “The second half showed improvement, but we ultimately failed to capitalise on our opportunities. We made poor choices in the final third and lacked the necessary composure to find the back of the net.”
Despite the unexpected defeat at the hands of Real Sociedad, FC Barcelona is still sitting on top of the league table with 33 points in 13 games, six points above second-placed Real Madrid who have a game in hand.
