Barcelona coach Flick reacts to referee's controversial call disallowing goal vs. Real Sociedad

On Matchday 13 of the 2024-25 La Liga season, Real Sociedad snapped FC Barcelona‘s seven-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory. The match’s most controversial moment came when a Robert Lewandowski goal was disallowed due to a debatable offside decision, prompting strong reactions from Barcelona coach Hansi Flick.

Eager to extend their winning streak to eight games, Barcelona started strongly at the Reale Arena. In the 12th minute, Lewandowski slotted home a rebound from a Frenkie de Jong shot after muscling past defender Nayef Aguerd. However, after a lengthy two-minute VAR review, the goal was ruled out for an alleged offside.

Flick, visibly frustrated, reviewed the play during the match and engaged in a heated discussion with the referee. Despite Barcelona’s early dominance, the disallowed goal gave Real Sociedad a lifeline, and Sheraldo Becker scored the decisive goal in the 33rd minute.

In the post-match press conference, Flick addressed the incident and shared his perspective: “I was not so angry… I only said only to him that it was a goal, he made the wrong decision, it was not offside. But it’s not his fault, and we have to accept this, and of course, until there, with a 1-0 score for us it could turn up different. It was not our day.

Speaking to DAZN, Flick reiterated his stance while taking accountability for the loss: “Today was not our day, we have to accept this defeat. I think there was a wrong decision about our goal, I think it was clear what I saw, but no excuses,” the coach said.

Young star Casado backs Flick

Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado also weighed in on the controversial decision, urging the league to reassess the goal: “La Liga must verify the goal scored by Lewandowski. It will be very irresponsible if a legal goal is disallowed like that,” the 21-year-old said.

Barca misses Lamine Yamal

Adding to Barcelona’s woes, Lamine Yamal’s absence due to a right ankle issue was a last-minute blow. Despite the lineup featuring most of Barcelona’s regular starters, the team struggled to replace Yamal’s creative spark. Flick confirmed the team had hoped he could play but ultimately decided to rest him:

“We will miss now Lamine Yamal… I don’t know if he will return after the international break. We’ve asked for him not to travel to national team,” admitted coach Flick after the game.