Revealed: Why Hansi Flick did eased out of harsh criticism of Barcelona players in post-Betis team talk

Barcelona saw two points slip through their fingers once again on Saturday afternoon, after Assane Diao glazed a 94th-minute equaliser for Real Betis. Manager Hansi Flick had shown his more stern side after their draw with Celta Vigo and defeat to Las Palmas, but was less harsh in his team talk in Seville after the match.

Flick was clear with his players – ‘Either we play at 100% or we will not win games’ – in a message that was serious, and contained strong words for the squad too. However he did not go in for them in the same way that he did in Vigo, say Diario AS. The German manager saw that his players were sunk by the result, and decided not twist the knife in by lambasting them as well.

The Blaugrana face Borussia Dortmund away in their next match, followed by home ties with Leganes and Atletico Madrid to finish out 2024. The pressure will be on to secure three wins out of three and categorise their run of five games with just one Liga win as a malaise rather than a much more concerning long-term issue.