Carlo Ancelotti hasn't quite found the key to stop Barça's winning streak. This year, more than ever, he resorts to excuses to justify his trailing role behind Barça in the standings.
In the press conference held on the eve of the Barça-Osasuna match, which takes place this Thursday, Flick referred to Ancelotti's complaints about the schedule. The white team's coach even threatened not to show up if there wasn't a 72-hour gap between matches.
This is how Flick assessed the tight schedule that has caused many criticisms:
"The players have been with their national teams and now it's time to play tomorrow. Then we have Leganés at 9:00 p.m., we'll have little rest. When you play in the Champions League, it's not a Barça against Madrid, you have to protect the Spanish teams so they can succeed.
I can't change it, we'll play with it and there are no excuses. The team is ready. We have to manage the load of minutes with a team that has great quality and can beat anyone."
"LaLiga Has Given the OK to This Schedule"
The Date That Neither Barça Nor Osasuna Like
"We have to accept it, they've decided it this way and we can't change it. It's a task for UEFA or FIFA to decide that players can have rest. In the end, LaLiga has given the ok."
The Inconvenience of Raphinha and Araújo
"They have a long flight and it's not the best way to recover. Ronald didn't play the last match, but after his injury, it's good that he has trained. We have a good team and what I've seen in training has been positive."
The Injuries of Cubarsí and Íñigo Martínez
"Eric and Íñigo will play as center-backs. Pau will be on the bench. It's better for him to have a couple more days because he needs it, but if we had needed him, he would play."
Ancelotti's Complaints About the Schedule
"I'm not going to get into it. I'm very proud to be Barça."
"Our Players Are Ready to Play Every Two or Three Days"
The Break and the Danger of Breaking the Winning Streak
"The end of the season is always important. We still can't win the Cup and the Champions League, but we can lose them. The team is in shape and I think we're ready for the challenge, I'm positive."
The State of Lewandowski
"He's ready to play, we'll decide tomorrow if he's a starter. He feels good and it's a good situation for us. Ferran is also in shape."
Madrid Refuses to Play If There's No 72-Hour Gap
"I talked to my staff and we discussed what we can do to properly recover the players. They told me that the players are ready and that playing every two or three days isn't much for them."