Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, has provided an explanation for his team’s 4-2 loss to PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The German tactician attributed the defeat to insufficient physical conditioning, mounting exhaustion and lapses in defensive organization as key contributing factors.
Flick conceded that his squad did not perform at optimal physical capacity during the UEFA Champions League match.
At the post-match media briefing, the German manager elaborated that the rigorous fixture schedule throughout the preceding 14 days had imposed considerable strain on his players.
While he refrained from citing fatigue as a primary justification, he underscored that diminished stamina can precipitate errors in both defensive and attacking phases.
Flick further noted that the logistical complications encountered the previous Saturday impeded the team’s recuperation following severe meteorological conditions that necessitated an additional overnight stay in Seville.
The manager acknowledged that those factors may have adversely affected Barcelona’s showing against the defending European champions.
He further conceded that his squad committed excessive errors, particularly throughout the second period.
He said, “We have committed too many mistakes in this game, especially in possession and with easy losses of the ball.
“We have to learn from this match. You don’t win titles in October. The Champions League is won in June.
“They have a lot of quality in transition. We tried to defend against them, and we did it well, but in those last 15 minutes we weren’t fresh.
“We didn’t have the best preparation for this game. We have to analyse it and do things better.”