Hansi Flick: It's Always Tough Against Atlético, One of the Best in La Liga and Europe

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick heaped praise on Atlético Madrid ahead of tomorrow's La Liga clash at the Metropolitano, a fixture that precedes both teams' Champions League quarter-final matches.

“Yes, this will be a match against one of the best teams in La Liga and Europe. They possess immense quality, and any player can be a match-winner. It's crucial that we don't make as many mistakes as we did in our last encounter there. I was very pleased with today's training session, and we have two very important months ahead. Things happen, like Raphinha's injury. He's in Brazil, and we had a video call where we decided he should stay there for a few days to rest with his family, to be calm and clear-headed. Sometimes, different decisions need to be made.

The positive news is that Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, and Eric Garcia have recovered. Next week, Frenkie de Jong might resume team training. But we need to take it slowly; we'll have to wait a bit longer. We've discussed the Metropolitano pitch with the players. I told them they need to be mindful of it and might need to change their studs. They must prepare and adapt. It's always tough against Atlético, who have one of the best coaches in the world. I like what I see from them and how they play. They have some of the best footballers globally, including Antoine Griezmann. Their players are fantastic, and the stadium atmosphere is also incredible.

I've already said I'm happy with Marcus Rashford. He's had some physical issues in recent weeks, but now he has a great opportunity. The same goes for Gavi, who has returned to his usual training level. Robert Lewandowski played 90 minutes in both matches for Poland. He's a great professional, and the thought of not being able to play in the World Cup saddens him, but that's part of life. However, he will now be focused on what we need from him in the coming weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed our women's team's victory last night (6-0 against Real Madrid - editor's note). I liked what I saw. Barça played very well physically, technically, and mentally, dominating the game.

Regarding the racist chants during Spain vs. Egypt? Lamine Yamal made a fantastic statement about it. In the football world, we are for inclusion. It was disappointing, and it concerns a small number of idiots who don't understand. Now is the time to reflect and improve. Not just in football, but in life. Racism has no place here. It affects everyone, and we must stand together. We all want to be respected, and skin color, race, and religion don't matter. We don't want racism, and now is the time to change all these mindsets,” Flick commented during his press conference today.