Hansi Flick had done an excellent job of ensuring he didn’t succumb to Barcelona’s infamous “entorno” during a mightily successful debut season, but the German is finding it much harder in year two.
The serene La Liga title defense he wished for hasn’t come to pass at the start of the 2025–26 campaign, with Barça, marred by injuries, in a competitive battle with Real Madrid at the division’s summit.
The champions looked on course for another disappointing result on Saturday, with a struggling Girona side just about resisting Barcelona’s advances after canceling out Pedri’s opener in some style through Axel Witsel.
Ronald Araújo’s dramatic late winner ensured the hosts escaped with a much-needed triumph that laid bare their current vulnerabilities, but the Uruguayan’s strike was far from the only talking point in an event-laden affair.
Before Pedri and Witsel’s early goals, Barça’s unrelenting second-half pressure, Flick’s sending off and Araujo’s heroics, both sets of players were involved in a protest immediately after kickoff. Here’s an explainer of why such action was taken.
Why Are Barcelona Players Protesting Own Club’s Decision?
Saturday’s La Liga duel in Catalonia started with the Barcelona and Girona players pausing for 15 seconds after the referee blew his whistle to get the game underway.
Ahead of the weekend’s action, the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) announced that players across La Liga would be carrying out a protest targeting the league’s “lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence” over the decision to stage a domestic match overseas.
It was revealed last month that Barcelona’s La Liga fixture with Villarreal, scheduled for Dec. 20, will be held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. While the AFE said that the Barça players did not have to join the protest, they decided to offer solidarity.
“We were not part of the [protest] but we felt that we needed to follow along out of respect for our fellow professionals,” goalscorer Pedri said postmatch.
The announcement of the overseas fixture has been met with widespread discontent. Many regard it as a desperate cash-grab on La Liga’s behalf, with little regard for player welfare and the integrity of the competition.
Barça boss Flick has already said he’s “not happy” with the drastic schedule change before Christmas, but whether the outcry and player protests will force a rethink is another matter. Tickets for the Miami-held clash go on sale next week.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Barcelona Players Protested a Decision From Their Own Club.