Coaching Concerns

Ahead of the Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick complained to a UEFA delegate over the pitch conditions at the Metopolitano. Barcelona have arrived in Madrid for the second leg of their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie against Atletico, looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg. But head coach Hansi Flick has already encountered his first obstacle, lodging a complaint with a UEFA official over the condition of the playing surface at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. On Monday, Barcelona held their pre-match press conference, with Lamine Yamal among the most prominent voices, even directing a message toward Atletico coach Diego Simeone, before Flick addressed the media. The squad also conducted their final training session ahead of Tuesday’s clash at the Metropolitano, and their first contact with the pitch left something to be desired. In footage captured by accredited media, Flick was visibly unhappy the moment he stepped onto the field. The Barcelona manager crouched down on multiple occasions to examine the grass up close, his body language leaving little doubt about his dissatisfaction with what he found. After determining that the grass was too long and excessively dry, Flick wasted no time seeking out UEFA delegate Christian Kofoed of Denmark, who was stationed on the touchline. The German coach proceeded to make his concerns known directly to the representative in no uncertain terms. Hansi Flick se queja del césped del Metropolitano a la UEFA. (Vía @eldesmarque). Al entrenador del Barça no le gusta el estado de la hierba. pic.twitter.com/J3ZiTVY6yW — Albert Ortega (@AlbertOrtegaES1) April 13, 2026 Despite the clear frustration on display, Diario AS reports that Barcelona have not filed a formal complaint, with Flick’s remarks characterized as an observation that UEFA has acknowledged. Atletico Madrid, for their part, have reportedly pushed back against any suggestion that the pitch was in poor condition in the 24 hours leading up to kickoff. Pitch conditions emerge as another obstacle for Barcelona A dry surface creates significantly more friction as the ball rolls across it, causing it to slow down considerably compared to a wet pitch, and that factor cuts directly against Flick’s style of play. In La Liga, Barcelona lead all teams with 586 passes completed per game, and in the Champions League they rank fourth with 507, while also placing among the lower teams in long ball frequency, making the pace and smoothness of the playing surface a genuine competitive concern. The dry conditions at the Metropolitano have already proven costly for Barcelona in this very stadium this season. In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, Atletico exploited an unexpected bounce on the pitch that caused goalkeeper Joan García to mishandle the ball, resulting in an own goal that opened a 4-0 victory for the hosts. It is precisely that kind of moment Flick will be desperate to avoid when the two sides meet again on Tuesday.

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down the USMNT’s loss to Turkey and why it might be time to worry about Mauricio Pochettino as the USMNT’s head coach. Christian and Alexis then react to Landon Donovan’s recent comments about the players absent from the USMNT squad ahead of the Gold Cup. Later, Christian and Alexis give us their Champions League perspectives for some teams making their way back to the competition. How will the likes of Tottenham, Newcastle, Napoli & others fare next season?

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse jumped on X Spaces immediately following the United States Men's National team dropping their first match of 2024 to Slovenia. The duo fields your questions and breaks down the action from San Antonio, Texas. Which young players stood out? Any concern over the start of Gregg Berhalter's second stint with the red, white, and blue? Which three senior players are you taking to the Olympics this summer? Make sure to tune into our regularly scheduled podcasts on Tuesday and Thursday this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jimbo is joined by Raphael Honigstein, Julien Laurens, James Horncastle and Alvaro Romeo to chew over a smorgasbord of European football action. PSG make it 6 wins out of 6 in Ligue 1 but all the headlines surround Lionel Messi and his reaction to being substituted. Meanwhile at Dortmund, is there anything Erling Haaland can’t do? Real Madrid continue to entertain us with a late comeback at Valencia. Juventus are still winless and in the relegation zone as Allegri admits he’s worried. Plus the return of Radamel Falcao at Rayo Vallecano. And should Bayern wear lederhosen to even up the Bundesliga? RUNNING ORDER: • PART 1: Moment of the week (02m 00s) • PART 2: Ligue 1 latest – Messi scenes at PSG and Lens (05m 00s) • PART 3: Bundesliga bulletin – Bayern hit Bochum for seven (20m 00s) • PART 4a: Ajax 9-0 Cambuur (35m 00s) • PART 4b: Serie A update – Roma lose for the first time (37m 30s) • PART 5: La Liga – more late drama as Real entertain again (49m 00s) SIGN UP TO THE ATHLETIC TODAY FOR 33% OFF THE PRICE OF AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION • theathletic.com/totally GET IN TOUCH: • follow us on Instagram • find us on Facebook • send us a tweet: @TheTotallyShow PARISH NOTICES: • we’re sponsored by Paddy Power - home of the Money Back Special READ STUFF ON OUR WEBSITE: • check out thetotallyfootballshow.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.