BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Saturday he is focussed on winning games despite the threat of a potential punishment for an ineligible line-up rumbling on in the background.
Flick selected Inigo Martinez in the 3-0 win over Osasuna in La Liga on Thursday, after the Spanish defender had withdrawn injured from the national team squad for their recent Nations League matches.
Osasuna appealed to the Spanish football federation on Friday over Martinez being ineligible, citing FIFA rules regarding players which have not joined up with their national teams when called on.
“We won three points and this is my focus, so I’m focussing on the next match against Girona,” Flick told a news conference Saturday, a day before leaders Barcelona host Girona in La Liga.
“The other thing is not in my hands, it’s not about me.”
FIFA rules state that players cannot appear for their clubs within five days of the last national team match, if they did not join the squad when called upon without the federation’s permission.
Martinez played 90 minutes against Osasuna after pulling out of international duty with knee discomfort, as Barcelona took a three-point lead at the top of the table.
The match was played on Thursday after being initially postponed from March 8, when a Barca club doctor died, with neither side wanting to play it this week but both having appeals against it rejected.
Flick lined up against Osasuna with star striker Robert Lewandowski on the bench, although he later scored when appearing as a substitute.
The Polish veteran has 23 goals in La Liga, leading the scoring charts, known as the Pichichi, ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe on 20.
“Lewandowski is focussed on the success of the team, not just winning the Pichichi,” said Flick.
“Of course he wants to score goals, he wants to play, but he also sees what the team needs.
“This makes me really proud, about the behavior of Lewy, and it was a really great situation, a great moment and everything went the right way against Osasuna, so it’s something I really appreciate.”
Martinez punishment ‘out of Flick’s hands’ as Barca focus on title
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Martinez punishment ‘out of Flick’s hands’ as Barca focus on title
- Osasuna appealed to the Spanish football federation on Friday over Martinez being ineligible
- “We won three points and this is my focus, so I’m focussing on the next match against Girona,” Flick told a news conference
Comoros chances at Cup of Nations hit by FIFA decision
- Comoros take on highly fancied hosts Morocco in the tournament’s opening game on Dec. 21
- Comoros have been among the worst affected, according to Cusin
DUBAI: Comoros have had their chances of making an impact in the opening game of the African Cup of Nations severely impacted by FIFA’s surprise decision to delay the release of their players, said coach Stefano Cusin.
Comoros, who are the smallest nation competing, take on highly fancied hosts Morocco in the tournament’s opening game in Rabat on December 21.
However, their expansive preparation plans have had to be canceled after FIFA changed the date that clubs have to release players to the national teams competing at the finals.
Last week, world football’s governing body announced that clubs need only release players on Dec. 15, seven days shy of the regulated 14-day period prior to a continental championship kickoff.
It has thrown plans for pre-tournament camps and friendlies into disarray for many of the 24 competing nations.
Comoros, competing at the finals for a second time and hoping to replicate the giant-killing havoc they caused in the 2021 edition in Cameroon, have been among the worst affected, according to Cusin.
“We planned a training camp in Tunisia with a friendly game against Botswana this coming weekend,” he told Reuters.
“Everything was ready, but now we have had to change everything. It affects us more than other teams because we’re going to play in the opening game.”
Comoros draw all their players from clubs across Europe and the Middle East.
“Releasing players on December 15 means we’ll only get in four or five training sessions before our first game,” Cusin added.
“We are angry about that; it was not correct to tell us just one week before. If we’d known from the beginning, then we could have made a different plan.”
The dates for the upcoming Cup of Nations from December 21-January 18 were set to avoid any conflict with the Champions League and other European club competitions.
