Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has laid bare his frustration with the match schedule in La Liga and confirmed Raphinha and Ronald Araujo will not play in the rearranged game against Osasuna tomorrow night.
Barca will be without the key duo as they make their way back from South America after appearing for Brazil and Uruguay respectively over the international break.
The game with Osasuna was controversially slated for tomorrow night after the original fixture was postponed shortly before kick-off when it was announced Barca’s first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia had died.
Minarro Garcia, 53, passed away at the team hotel in the lead up to the match. He had been working at the club since 2017.
It leaves Barca with a packed calendar and facing seven games in 20 days.
🎙️ HANSI FLICK: "At the end of the season, every match is big."#BarçaOsasuna pic.twitter.com/Ea6Jr8xgCw
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 26, 2025
📰 Table Of Contents
Barca boss Flick unhappy with La Liga scheduling
Flick said: “We have to accept it. They have decided it is like this. We can’t change it. It is a task for UEFA or FIFA to decide when players can have rest. La Liga has given it the okay.”
Raphinha endured a miserable night playing for Brazil against Argentina on Tuesday, suffering the taunts of the Monumental crowd for his inflammatory pre-match comments that backfired as his side were hammered 4-1.
Araujo missed Uruguay’s 0-0 draw with Bolivia – the second of two games over the past week for Marcelo Bielsa’s men – due to injury and both players will not be involved against Osasuna and instead held back for the game against Girona on Sunday.
Flick added: “Raphinha and Araujo will not be part of the team tomorrow. They have a very long flight and they have to recover.
“Ronald didn’t play the last game, but after his injury it’s good that he has trained. We’ll see what happens on Sunday.
“We have a good team and what I have seen in training has been positive. We have to fight for the three points. If we win tomorrow, it will be a good reaction.”
Cubarsi to start Osasuna game on the bench
Central defender Pau Cubarsi was also injured on international duty for Spain and will start the Osasuna game on the bench.
“Eric Garcia and Iñigo Martinez will play as central defenders,” said Flick. “Pau will be on the bench. It’s better that you have a couple more days if you need it. The injury is not a big one. If we needed him, he would play.”
🎙️ HANSI FLICK on the availability of Iñigo Martínez and Pau Cubarsí.#BarçaOsasuna pic.twitter.com/yWo4u9zSir
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 26, 2025
Flick calls on La Liga to give more help to Spanish clubs in Europe
Barca were unhappy at having to play Osasuna tomorrow and were equally frustrated that their La Liga clash at Leganes was scheduled for 9pm on Saturday, April 12, just three days before the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Borussia Dortmund.
Former Germany boss Flick believes the league should do more to help their clubs that participate in European competition.
“We will have little rest,” he said. “When you play in the Champions League it is not a Barça against Real Madrid [situation]. You have to protect the Spanish teams so that they are successful.
“I can’t change it. We will deal with it and there are no excuses. The squad is ready and will have to manage the loads.
“We have great quality in the team and we can beat anyone. I’m positive.”
Barca go into tomorrow night’s game in hand level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table. Atletico Madrid are four points behind the Catalan club.
Osasuna are 14th and on a run of six games without a win in all competitions.
