FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick didn’t hold back his frustration regarding the scheduling of his team’s upcoming LaLiga match against Real Valladolid. The fixture has been set for 9:00 p.m., just three days before the decisive second leg of the Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan. The German manager, clearly irritated, criticized those responsible for setting the match times, accusing them of ignoring the needs of clubs competing in European tournaments.

Schedule complaints: "It’s not an excuse, but it’s a joke"

In the press conference ahead of the match against Celta de Vigo, Flick expressed his outrage: "They’ve done it again!" he said, referring to a similar situation between the matches against Leganés and Borussia Dortmund, when his team returned home in the early hours of the morning and had barely any time to rest.

“We’ll be getting back around four in the morning. I haven’t seen this anywhere else—only in the Spanish league. I don’t understand how they can schedule an away game at 9 p.m. knowing we have a Champions League semifinal just days later. It’s nonsense,” he stated firmly, emphasizing that although he wasn’t making excuses, he was demanding some common sense.

Flick voiced his disappointment over how Spanish clubs still active in Europe are treated, highlighting that in other countries, federations support their teams internationally: “Other leagues adjust their calendars to give their teams proper rest. Here, it seems completely ignored.”

He also stressed the potential physical toll this scheduling could take on his players: “Playing that late, traveling afterward, and not getting proper rest is a risk. Then people wonder why there are so many injuries or dips in form.”

Inter is coming—and Barça arrives exhausted

With the high-stakes match against Inter Milan just around the corner, Flick expressed his disappointment that no measures are being taken to help his players arrive in peak condition. “We’re playing for so much—not just for ourselves but representing LaLiga as well. Being in the semifinals benefits everyone, but some people just don’t seem to care.”

Despite the fatigue, Flick assured that his squad is fully focused and ready to compete at the highest level. However, he made it clear he will continue speaking out against what he sees as poor decision-making: “If we want Spanish football to shine in Europe, we need to start by taking better care of the teams that represent it.”