Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick admits the decision on the future of Marc Casado and Roony Bardghji weighed heavily on him, revealing he talked through both players' situations with the club's management more than once before settling on their fate.
The German had left both out of the team's recent trip to Italy, a sign they are close to leaving the Camp Nou. Casado's name has been linked with a possible move to the Saudi league, where press reports claim Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal both want to sign him.
Speaking after Barcelona's involvement in Saturday evening's friendly triangular tournament alongside Italy's Udinese and England's Nottingham Forest, Flick said: "Regarding the matter of Marc Casado, it is not easy for me. And with Roony too, it is not easy for me. But we have to make decisions, the club and I."
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"I spoke with the two of them at the end of last season, and of course we also spoke during the current season," he added. "We discussed their situations during the England trip, and we addressed the changes that will happen."
"That is how things go," the German continued. "I give them my advice, and they know what we think about this situation. It is not about me alone, but about the club too."
He went on: "It is natural for there to be significant changes in the team after the end of the season. You can see that today as well, we have many young players, especially those coming from La Masia. So it is also important that we give them space to play. That is why we made this decision."