Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has strongly condemned the racist chanting aimed at Alejandro Balde by Getafe supporters, describing it as “unbelievable” and “completely wrong.”
The young left-back endured racist abuse during the first half of Barcelona’s 1-1 draw in Madrid, prompting him to inform the referee about the incident. Speaking to reporters after the match, Balde shared his thoughts:
“Today I received racist insults. I don’t think this should keep happening. It happened in the first half, and I informed the referee. He activated the protocol, and there were no further incidents in the second half.”
Addressing the media after the game, Flick stood firmly by his player and called for decisive action against those responsible for the abuse.
“There is no place for this in football or in life,” Flick stated. “It’s unbelievable. In the times we live in, this behavior is completely wrong. People who engage in this should stay at home. We need to fight this—it’s the best thing to do.”
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Flick also emphasized the role of bystanders in combating racism:
“People around them can and should do something. It’s unfair and disrespectful. This isn’t the kind of world we want to live in, and everyone has a role to play.”
In addition to addressing the incident, Flick reflected on another frustrating result for Barcelona, as they failed to capitalize on Atletico Madrid’s surprise defeat to Leganes. Adding to their woes, Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Las Palmas on Sunday saw Los Blancos reclaim top spot in La Liga, leaving Barca in third place, seven points behind.
“I’m not worried,” Flick said when asked about Barcelona’s recent form. “I know we’ve dropped a lot of points recently, and that’s not what we want. We can do much better.
“That said, we started the season well, and I’m happy with how we’ve progressed this year. But now we need to prove it. We have to show it in Lisbon because it’s a very important game. Winning three points there will secure our place in the next round, and that’s our focus. But to do that, we need to perform much better.”
