Flick: You can make a mistake once, but not twice; our dream is the Champions League

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick once again voiced his frustration with the officiating during the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash against Atlético Madrid. The club officially lodged a complaint with UEFA last night, and according to the German coach, the errors, particularly the unawarded penalty, proved decisive in the final outcome. Flick added that all players and the coaching staff are focused on winning the Champions League. However, before the return leg against Atlético, a derby against Espanyol in La Liga awaits.

"I don't know what the outcome will be (editor's note - Flick refers to the complaint filed by the club), but for me and the team, it's good that the club supports us in this, because it was unfair. You can make a mistake once, but not twice, and the club's support is a great help.

VAR is precisely for that. When they see something wrong, they should notify the referee, and that was missing for me in that match. There are many things that can be improved. It's true that we didn't play our best game and made mistakes, but the referee's mistakes decided the match," Flick stated, before shifting his focus to the importance of the Catalan derby.

"Everyone knows how important this match is for the club and for the fans. We have many players from La Masia who understand the significance of winning this derby. We'll see what rotations I make. As always, we need to manage the players' game time. But there's a lot of quality in the squad, and the starting lineup will certainly be fantastic."

Regarding whether the club will prioritize the upcoming La Liga matches or those in the Champions League, the German coach said:

"La Liga is the foundation, and because of the league, we play in the Champions League. But the dream of everyone is the Champions League, that's why we are here. In every match, you see that the players are at 105%. We have to do our daily work in the league, but ultimately, the goal is the Champions League."

Asked about Robert Lewandowski's potential new contract, Flick replied:

"Now is not the time to talk about that. We have big goals ahead of us, and all the players need to focus on giving their all for this team, club, and fans. Now is not the time to discuss it. That's Deco's job."

Flick added that Gavi is ready to start and will most likely be in the lineup for tomorrow's derby. He also stated that he has not yet decided whether to give Lamine Yamal some rest. A decision regarding Frenkie de Jong will be made based on how he feels after today's training session.