FC Barcelona suffered a bitter 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on February 12, 2026. The Catalan team was stunned by the result and is already facing heavy internal and external criticism.
In line with recent reports, we can confirm that an unscheduled meeting took place between the players and Hansi Flick at the Blaugrana training ground on Friday. Criticism arose from both sides when the German coach questioned the players’ attitude and intensity during the first half of the match.
Conversely, players were open to exchanging opinions with the coaching staff and expressing their concerns. They felt that maintaining a high line and high press pressure were not the best ideas under the circumstances, especially in the absence of key figures such as Raphinha and Pedri.
It has been observed that players were not keen to have their approach dismantled again and sought more pragmatism in bigger matches. The implications the meeting will have for the Barcelona team remain uncertain, but the hope remains that it will allow both sides to exchange ideas and maintain a healthy balance going forward.
