""After two defeats, and also not the best performances, it was good to have two days off this week," Flick said in a news conference on Saturday. "We have to get back our confidence. It's normal when you lose, and you play not good, maybe you have some doubts about your performances. "We spoke very honest, very open, two days ago and again today. This is the key for the next matches. We have to have the hunger to win these games.""
""We were very honest and very open, not only me telling them what to do; I wanted to ask them, too. It's normal. It's how I manage the team. "It's important because we need leaders on the pitch, so it's important they can say something. I want the players to feel the responsibility about this situation and I think they do it.""
Barcelona suffered back-to-back defeats including a 4-0 Copa del Rey first-leg loss to Atlético Madrid and a 2-1 LaLiga defeat at Girona, allowing Real Madrid to overtake them. Flick gave players two days off after the Girona result and held first-team meetings when they returned to training, seeking player input on recent problems. Flick emphasized honesty, openness, the need to regain confidence and hunger, and the importance of on-pitch leaders accepting responsibility. A prolonged discussion delayed training and the coach's news conference, as Flick pushed for collective accountability and tactical buy-in ahead of upcoming matches.
Read at ESPN.com
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