Hans-Dieter Flick: “In El Clásico, we will take the field only to win.”

On May 11, in the 35th round of the Spanish La Liga, the world-famous match "El Clásico" will take place. In it, "Barcelona" will host their fierce rival – "Real Madrid". On the eve of this important clash, the Catalan club's head coach Hans-Dieter Flick shared his thoughts on the current state of the team and the upcoming match.

“After the painful defeat against "Inter" in the Champions League, the situation in the team has improved. We understand very well that it will not be easy, but at the same time we are taking all necessary steps to fix the situation and achieve our goals. We know exactly what we want, and we need to prove it on the field. Right now, only "El Clásico" matters to us, because it is of great importance for the team’s morale,” said Flick.

On the lineup and player condition
The German specialist also responded to several questions regarding the starting lineup:

“I think it will be difficult to start Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde from the beginning. At the moment, I do not have complete confidence in their condition. At the same time, Gerard Martin and other players are showing that they are in very good shape. There are still three important matches ahead, and it is possible that Lewandowski and Balde will come on in the second half.”

On the psychological state after UCL exit
Flick also touched on the emotional state of the team after being knocked out of the Champions League:

“In such situations, it is very important to speak openly with the players, to restore their morale, and to discuss the goals ahead. That’s exactly what we did. ‘El Clásico’ is not an ordinary game — in it, you have to enter the field with 100% effort. We want to play actively, control the ball, and take maximum advantage of the support from our fans. This is very important.”

“We respect Real Madrid, but we are only playing to win”
According to the coach, while acknowledging the strength of "Real Madrid", "Barcelona" will take the field only with victory in mind:

“I do not deny the strength of our opponent — ‘Real’ is an excellent and fantastic team. But we are playing at home, and we want to win in front of our fans. If you ask the players, they will say that in any situation, they want to win in ‘El Clásico’. The result of this game is of fundamental importance to us. The league table and the season standings are not important right now. We are focused solely on this match and are ready to give everything for the win,” Flick concluded.

Let us remind you, the “El Clásico” between “Barcelona” and “Real Madrid” will take place on May 11 at the “Camp Nou” stadium. The result of this match could significantly affect the standings in the league. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!