Flick Criticizes Scheduling as Barcelona Look to Extend La Liga Lead

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expresses frustration with scheduling of matches, citing impact on player recovery and team performance.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has announced that winger Raphinha and defender Ronald Araujo will be unavailable for the team's upcoming LaLiga match against Osasuna, scheduled to take place on Thursday.

According to Flick, the decision to exclude Raphinha and Araujo from the lineup was made to allow them sufficient time to recover from their recent participation in South American World Cup qualifying matches. Additionally, Flick considered the fatigue associated with their travel back to Spain, deeming it prudent to give them a break.

🎙️ HANSI FLICK: "At the end of the season, every match is big."#BarçaOsasuna pic.twitter.com/Ea6Jr8xgCw

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 26, 2025

Barcelona's appeal against the rescheduling of their match against Osasuna was unsuccessful. The match was initially postponed on March 8th due to the passing of one of the club's doctors, but it has now been rescheduled to take place this week.

Barcelona's players who were on international duty will not be included in the squad for the Osasuna match, according to the club's manager. “They will not play, they are not in the team, they have a long flight and it's not the best way, because they have to recover,” the manager explained during a news conference on Wednesday. This decision affects players like Raphinha, who started for Brazil in their 4-1 loss to Argentina, and Araujo, who was on the bench for Uruguay's goalless draw against Bolivia.

The manager expressed frustration with the scheduling of the match, as well as another league game against Leganes on April 12th. These matches come ahead of Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final second leg clash against Borussia Dortmund on April 15th, and the manager feels that the scheduling is not ideal for his team's preparations.

This is the way 🎬 #BarçaOsasuna pic.twitter.com/ddgjT5p5DX

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 26, 2025

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expressed his dissatisfaction with the scheduling of his team's matches, particularly when playing away. “When playing away, always at nine, we arrive late back in the night, it's to do with recovery for the players,” Flick explained. He drew comparisons with other European leagues, highlighting the differences in scheduling. “I am not happy with this. When you see other leagues with Champions League teams, it's different to here.”

Despite his concerns about the scheduling, Flick remained confident in his team's ability to secure three points against Osasuna. “Always no excuses, we go for it,” he declared. Flick emphasized the quality within his squad, stating, “Tomorrow we will go for it, I think we have big, big quality in this team. We can win against everyone, even if some players are not in the team... we're looking forward and are very positive.”

Flick provided updates on the availability of his players, confirming that defender Inigo Martinez will start against Osasuna despite dropping out of the Spanish national team squad. Additionally, Pau Cubarsi, who suffered an injury while on international duty with La Roja, has been deemed fit enough to take a spot on the bench.