Barcelona have suffered a tragic passing hours before El Clasico, with it being confirmed that Hansi Flick’s father has died.
There has been a lot of excitement within the club at the prospect of wrapping up the La Liga title against Real Madrid on Sunday evening at the Spotify Camp Nou, but that feeling has now been replaced by a subdued one, following the news that Flick’s father passed away in the early hours of the morning, as the Catalan club has confirmed in an official statement.
“FC Barcelona and the entire Blaugrana family wish to convey our affection to Hansi Flick over the passing of his father. We share his pain and stand with him during this very difficult time for him and his family.”
Flick will be in Barcelona dugout for El Clasico
Flick informed his Barcelona squad and coaching staff of the news in the early morning, and as per Marca, he also confirmed that he will be in the dugout for the Real Madrid clash. The time will come for him to return to Germany and be with his family, but for now, he has chosen to remain in Catalonia for El Clasico.
Flick is a much-loved figure at Barcelona, and especially by his players. There is little doubt that his players will be even more desperate to seal the La Liga title with a victory on Sunday, as it will allow them to pay the perfect tribute to him and his father.
It remains to be seen whether Barcelona are able to get the required result to seal their second La Liga title in a row. They will not have to face Real Madrid top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe, as he has been not travelled with the rest of Alvaro Arbeloa’s squad after suffering discomfort in Saturday’s training session.
