FC Barcelona does not give up and is using all legal means to ensure that Hansi Flick will be on the bench this Sunday (16:15 CET) at the Santiago Bernabéu. After the RFEF’s appeals committee upheld the one-match suspension imposed on the German coach, the Catalan club will appeal to the Court of Sport Administration (TAD) in a bid to obtain preventive measures that will allow him to lead the team against Real Madrid. What is clear is that it will be his assistant Markus Sorg who will conduct the pre-match press conference.
The appeals committee’s decision, published on Thursday, confirms the position of the disciplinary committee, which deemed valid the assessment reflected in referee Jesús Gil Manzano’s report after his flicked off in the final stages of the game against Girona. The referee said the coach was first cautioned for “praising one of my decisions in protest” and was immediately shown a yellow card for “making a gesture of disapproval” after the first warning.
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The penalty is limited to one game as it was not a direct sending off but rather two yellow cards, but it is enough to prevent him from making the bench at the Bernabéu. Barcelona provided images that contradicted the referee’s report and asserted the allegations. However, both the disciplinary and appeals committees agreed that the video did not distort what was recorded by Gil Manzano.
The Appeals Committee once again recalled Article 27 of the Disciplinary Law, which states that “the decision of the referee on the facts relating to the match is final and presumed to be true, except in cases of clear and serious error.” On this premise, the court rejected Barcelona’s appeal and fully upheld the punishment.
Spanish club still has one last chance
The Spanish club still has one last chance. Flick has until midday on Friday to submit an urgent request to the TAD for an interim suspension of sanctions so he can be substituted during the Clasico. If this is not successful, assistant Markus Sorg will lead the team from the sidelines.
Barcelona’s camp cannot hide its dissatisfaction with this decision. They believe the sanction was disproportionate and that the referee’s interpretation went too far. They are confident that the TAD, the highest sports discipline body, can intervene in a timely manner and allow the German coach to attend the most awaited game of the season.
