‘He has to improve!’ – Hansi Flick explains why Rodri is still being left on Barcelona bench amid massive Pedri dilemma
Addressing the decision to keep his star signing out of the starting XI, Flick was blunt about the midfielder’s current conditioning following his recent arrival from Man City.
“Obviously, he needs to improve physically,” the Barcelona boss explained. “We know that because he just arrived and has only been with us for ten days. But, in the end, for me, how we reacted after the goal is important to me.”
Flick also identified broader collective issues his squad must address, specifically highlighting defensive vulnerabilities when facing rapid counter-attacks and dead-ball situations.
“As I said in the previous question, we need to control the ball more,” Flick added. “We also have to say that we always talk about ourselves, but we must also talk about the opponent. They played very well. They have very fast players. The way they attacked was good, and of course, they were also good on set pieces, on corners. I think we have to do much better in these situations.”
