Hansi Flick Faces El Clasico Ban After Red Card in Barcelona vs Girona
- Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has spoken out about his controversial reaction that led to his sending off against Girona
- The German tactician was dismissed for angrily protesting a decision late in the La Liga match
- Barcelona climbed above Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga after Ronald Araújo’s decisive late goal
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Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is facing a touchline suspension for El Clásico after being sent off in Saturday’s victory over Girona.
The 60-year-old was shown a red card late in the match at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys for sarcastically applauding an officiating decision.
Source: Getty Images
Per Goal, referee Jesús Gil Manzano initially booked Flick after he clapped the announcement of four minutes of stoppage time with the score level at 1-1, before issuing a second yellow for his protests moments later.
As a result, the German tactician is expected to serve at least a one-match touchline ban, ruling him out of the dugout for the season’s first Clásico against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on October 26.
Flick explains celebration
Flick said after the game via The Athletic:
“Football is about emotions, it’s about tension. “They weren’t aimed at anyone, it was just a celebration.
“Frenkie (De Jong) was there and they showed him a card. My reaction wasn’t directed at the referee. And I don’t know why he showed me the second one. The celebration wasn’t directed at anyone, it was because of how we had won. I was happy. I don’t do anything against anyone and I never will. I accept the referee’s decision. It wasn’t directed at him. I applauded so that the team would react.
“I tried to talk to the referee and I couldn’t. He went on his way and I couldn’t. I accept the referee’s decisions, he makes the decisions. What I did had nothing to do with him. If he doesn’t want to talk to me, it doesn’t make me sad, I accept it.”
Hansi Flick's side were 2-1 winners over Girona on Saturday, with Ronald Araujo scoring a 93rd-minute winner after Axel Witsel had cancelled out Pedri’s opener in the first half.
Flick was sent off shortly before Araujo’s late winner, but was seen in the dugout celebrating his side’s late goal.
It is not the first time Flick has been sent off following his reaction to a refereeing decision during his time at Barca.
In December 2024, he was given a two-game suspension after being shown a red card in a draw against Real Betis.
Source: Getty Images
Flick was dismissed following his reaction to the awarding of a Betis penalty, with the referee’s report stating he had been sent off for leaving the technical area, shouting and gesticulating.
He watched the remainder of the match from the stands and later expressed his disappointment with the decision.
Flick will be joined on the sidelines by Robert Lewandowski, who has been ruled out of El Clásico through injury.
The La Liga champions confirmed that the 37-year-old striker sustained a muscle strain in his left thigh.
He is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, making him almost certain to miss the highly anticipated clash with Real Madrid on October 26.
Hansi Flick’s future beyond Barcelona
In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh revealed that Hansi Flick plans to step away from top-level football coaching after his tenure at Barcelona.
Flick, who rose to prominence after guiding Bayern Munich to a treble in 2020, has a contract with the La Liga champion that runs until June 2027.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
