Hansi Flick has clarified his comments after leaving Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde out of the squad for the match against Elche, insisting: “I did not ask Balde to leave the club.”
The 22-year-old was omitted from the team by Flick’s decision for the fixture. The Barcelona head coach addressed the matter before kick-off, prompting questions about the defender’s situation and the meaning of his remarks.
Flick has now made clear that he was not telling Balde to depart Barcelona. His explanation comes after the decision to leave the defender out of the match had attracted attention, with interest in the player being attributed to Manchester United.
Barcelona produced a commanding performance against Elche despite Balde’s absence, winning 5-0. Raphinha and Fermin Lopez each scored twice, while Karim Adeyemi added the other goal.
The result provided the immediate backdrop to the discussion surrounding Balde, whose omission was a choice made by Flick rather than the result of a reported transfer. The German coach’s clarification was specifically aimed at separating his decision over the matchday squad from any suggestion that he had asked the player to leave the club.
Balde, 22, remains the subject of reported interest from Manchester United. However, the information available in the aftermath of Barcelona’s victory centres on Flick’s explanation of his decision not to select him for the Elche game, rather than on any confirmed move away from the Catalan club.
The defender’s absence was announced before the match, when Flick spoke about the squad and explained that Balde would not feature. Barcelona then went on to complete a five-goal victory, with the attacking contribution shared between Raphinha, Fermin Lopez and Adeyemi.
Flick’s clarification addresses the main point of confusion surrounding the episode: leaving Balde out of one match did not mean he had requested the player’s departure. The coach’s statement therefore distinguishes between a selection decision for the Elche fixture and the wider transfer interest reportedly involving Manchester United.
Barcelona’s 5-0 win remains the most significant result from the match, but Flick’s comments ensured that Balde’s situation continued to attract attention afterwards. The club’s head coach has now publicly rejected the interpretation that he wanted the left-back to leave Barcelona, while the reported interest from Manchester United remains part of the background to the story.
