Hansi Flick explains his controversial celebration after being sent off against Girona as Barcelona boss set to miss El Clasico

With Barcelona tied at 1-1 against Girona in the dying minutes of the La Liga fixture, Flick was visibly angry when the fourth official announced there would be just four minutes of additional time at the Olympic Stadium. With emotions running high as his side chased a crucial winner in their attempts to leapfrog great rivals Real at the summit, the 60-year-old argued with the officials over the amount of time added on and was dismissed as a result. This also means that the German coach will not be present in the dugout at Santiago Bernabeu in the season's first El Clasico.

Following the red card, Flick was also seen making a gesture near the dugout after Araujo netted the all-important last-minute winner for the Catalan club. Slapping his left hand against his right arm twice, it is not clear if Flick aimed the motion towards either the referee or the fourth official. Araujo met Frenkie de Jong’s cross to spark wild celebrations among the home side.

After the game, Flick opened up about his protest against the officials, while also explaining his controversial celebration. Speaking to reporters, the Barcelona boss said: "Football is about emotions, it's about tension. It wasn't for anyone, it was just a celebration. Frenkie was there and they showed him a card. My reaction wasn't directed at the referee. And I don't know why he showed me the second one. The celebration wasn't against anyone, it was about how we won. I was happy. I don't and won't do anything against anyone. I accept the referee's decision. It wasn't against him. I applauded so the team would react.

Flick also said he tried to talk to the match referee but Gil Manzano wasn't interested in a discussion. He added: "I tried to talk to the referee, but I couldn't. He went his own way, and I couldn't. I accept the referee's decisions; he makes the decisions. What I did had nothing to do with him. If he doesn't want to talk to me, that doesn't make me sad; I accept that."

After suffering from a persistent groin injury, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal finally returned to action and even featured in Flick's starting lineup. The youngster made a blockbuster return as he turned the assist provider for Pedri's opening goal, before being subbed off in the second. While Flick's red card was a massive blow for the Spanish champions, Yamal's return to action will surely prove to be a huge boost for the team ahead of the mouth-watering El Clasico against arch-rivals Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu next week. 

Flick also revealed why Lamine was taken off in the second half, as he added: "I think he's fine, but we'll see tomorrow. He didn't say anything to me after the game, and that's good. He was only going to play 60 minutes. We had no other option. Pedri also plays a lot of minutes, which is why we substituted both of them. They're top players. Toni also played the first 45 minutes. It's also good that Fermín is back. He didn't start from the start. It was the right strategy."

Barcelona will now aim to build on the dramatic late victory over Girona and return to winning ways in the Champions League, as they are all set to host Olympiacos on Tuesday. Flick’s men began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle on 18 September, with on-loan forward Marcus Rashford scoring twice, before losing 2-1 to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in their second fixture in Europe’s elite club competition. Following the European fixture, the focus will shift to the main attraction, the all-important El Clasico. The Catalan side will draw inspiration from their performance in El Clasicos last season as they won all four head-to-head clashes with their rivals and completely dominated Los Blancos. The two Spanish giants are set to lock horns for the first time in the 2025-26 campaign at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26.