Hans Flick’s anger during Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid was driven by more than frustration, with a new substitution rule threatening to leave his side with 10 players for a crucial minute.
With Barcelona defending their lead at the Riyadh Metropolitano, Anthony Gordon took longer than expected to leave the pitch after being replaced by Karim Adeyemi in the 86th minute. Flick immediately urged the England international to hurry, aware that any further delay could have forced Barcelona to play temporarily with a numerical disadvantage.
The match had remained finely balanced after Barcelona overturned an early advantage for Atletico. Giuliano’s goal had put the hosts in front and the Rojiblancos initially looked the stronger side, but Barcelona recovered to turn the game around.
Despite moving ahead, Barcelona could not relax. The 2-1 scoreline left Atletico searching for an equaliser until the final whistle, making the substitution incident particularly significant.
Flick demands speed from Gordon
Flick sent on Adeyemi for Gordon, but the departing player appeared unhappy as he made his way towards the goal-line. The Barcelona manager felt he was taking too long and called on him to accelerate his exit.
Gordon, who seemed surprised by the reaction, increased his pace before shaking hands with Adeyemi. He then left the pitch appearing to struggle to understand the situation, while Flick’s response underlined the importance of the change in the closing stages.
Under a rule introduced at the start of this season, players being substituted must leave the field within 10 seconds of the replacement board being displayed.
If they fail to do so, the team is temporarily reduced to 10 players. The substitute must then wait for a full minute before being allowed to enter the pitch.
Had Gordon taken any longer, Barcelona would have faced that penalty while Atletico were pressing for a second goal. Flick’s intervention was therefore intended to prevent a potentially costly loss of time rather than simply express irritation.
Rule first used in Real Madrid match
The regulation was first applied in early September during a Champions League match between Real Madrid and Inter Milan, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Vinicius took longer than permitted to leave the field in the 87th minute, meaning his replacement, Carreras, could not come on until 60 seconds had passed.
Real Madrid protested strongly at the time, with Mourinho among those objecting, but the officials had applied the rule correctly.
Flick’s reaction in Madrid reflected the same reality: under the new regulations, a delay of only a few seconds can leave a team short-handed at a decisive moment.
