Hansi Flick gives take on Villarreal-Barcelona Miami game

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has given his take on the controversial decision to host their last La Liga game of the calendar year against Villarreal in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in the United States. The idea has been met with plenty of scepticism by many, but it looks like there is no sign of it being stopped.

The Blaugrana were due to travel to La Ceramica to face the Yellow Submarine, and Real Madrid have complained that hosting the game in Miami adulterates the competition. On the other hand, Villarreal owner Fernando Roig has pointed out that Villarreal’s record is much better in Barcelona than it is in Castellon.

Flick: “Frenkie de Jong played on Sunday. He has been able to rest. Pedri hasn’t been able to rest as much, but he’s at a good level. We will take care of them. They are world-class top players, and it’s normal that they accumulate more minutes.”

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 17, 2025

Hansi Flick gives take on Miami game

After the game was confirmed by La Liga over the last week, Flick was asked about it, amid reports that the Spanish Player’s Association (AFE) were not happy about their lack of involvement in the plans.

“I understand that there are players who aren’t happy, but La Liga are the ones who decide, and we’ll have to play. We’ll have the Christmas break between the last game and the first game of the year against Espanyol. We have to respect that.”

Hansi Flick’s view on Barcelona’s defensive woes

Back in Catalonia, Barcelona host Girona on Saturday at Montjuic, and will be desperate to avoid dropping further points after a damaging 4-1 defeat to Sevilla last time out. Since, Eric Garcia and Pau Cubarsi have pointed the finger at Barcelona’s forwards, who they believe are not pressing with the same intensity as previously.

“I always say that when we defend, I include everyone. The striker wants us to create chances, but the defenders also want the strikers to press. In the end, it’s about the mentality we have on the pitch. I’ve said it before. We’re Barca, and our fans want to see us fight in every situation. We’re in a new season, and we lost against Sevilla.”

“We’re two points behind Madrid, and we also lost in the Champions League. We have to start every game with a good attitude. We have to fight for all the titles again. We don’t have all the players available, but it’s also an opportunity for the young players and those who haven’t had much playing time.”

The Blaugrana are missing a number of key players against Girona, and will be forced to put out a makeshift attack on Saturday. It begins their run into El Clasico against Real Madrid next Saturday, when Barcelona will want to have a much more assured defensive performance to avoid embarassment.