The Camp Nou, converted into a scene of contained emotions and relentless demands, witnessed a moment that has shaken the foundations of the FC Barcelona locker room. In the resounding 4-2 victory against Slavia Prague, corresponding to the league phase of the Champions League, Pedri González experienced one of the most painful episodes of his recent career.

At 61 minutes into the match, the young Canarian midfielder collapsed on the grass, visibly affected by muscle discomfort in his right thigh. The cameras captured how, as he left the field of play limping and with tears in his eyes, his face reflected not only the physical pain, but also the frustration accumulated by a season marked by constant relapses.

What happened next has generated an unprecedented stir. Hansi Flick, the German coach who came to the club with the promise of imposing iron discipline and maximum intensity football, did not show the consolation that many expected. Instead of approaching Pedri with words of encouragement or a visible gesture of support, the coach maintained a cold and distant expression from the sideline.

Sources close to the locker room assure that, once the match was over, Flick did not hesitate to publicly criticize the player in the subsequent press conference, stating that “the era of mercy has ended at the Camp Nou.” These words, pronounced with the harshness characteristic of his style, resounded like thunder in the halls of the stadium.

The phrase, which is already circulating like a mantra among the most radical fans and has been repeated on social networks and sports programs, encapsulates the philosophy that Flick is trying to implement in Barcelona. For the German, individual talent, no matter how brilliant, cannot be above collective commitment or physical resistance.

Pedri, one of the pillars of the team since his emergence in 2020, has suffered a plague of muscle injuries in recent years that have kept him off the playing fields for months. Each relapse has been a blow for the club and for the player himself, who has tried to return again and again with the same enthusiasm as always. However, according to Flick, that vulnerability can no longer be an excuse.

In the locker room, the reaction was immediate. What appeared to be a comfortable victory – with goals from Fermín López, Dani Olmo and other key players who overcame a difficult match – turned into a tense atmosphere. Several of Pedri’s teammates, including some of the captains and most important players in the group, were disconcerted by the coach’s attitude.

Sources inside the club reveal that, during the chat in the locker room after the final whistle, Flick went straight to the point: he reproached Pedri for not having managed his physical load better during the match and stressed that, in a team that aspires to everything, there is no room for self-pity.

The decision Flick made next was the final straw for many. Instead of allowing Pedri to remain on the bench surrounded by his teammates or receive immediate attention from the medical team in the tunnel, the coach ordered the player to leave the stadium directly to undergo tests at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper that same night.

There was no joint press conference or supporting photos. Pedri left alone, with his head bowed and visibly affected. This measure, which some see as a protective gesture to prevent the player from answering uncomfortable questions, was interpreted by others as public humiliation. Chaos settled in the locker room: hushed conversations, exchanged glances and an uncomfortable silence that contrasted with the euphoria that should have reigned after a victory in the Champions League.

Hansi Flick is not a coach who seeks popularity through condescending gestures. His career at Bayern Munich, where he won the sextete in 2020, was based on almost military discipline and the maximum demands of his players, even the most talented. In Barcelona, ​​where the club has experienced years of emotional ups and downs and where the locker room has been accused in the past of being too permissive with stars, Flick seems determined to change the paradigm.

“We can’t continue protecting the players from themselves,” he reportedly commented privately to his coaching staff. For him, Pedri’s tears were not a sign of human weakness, but rather a sign that the midfielder has not yet reached the level of resilience the team needs.

However, this position has generated division. Pedri, who has always been seen as an example of professionalism and humility, has the unconditional support of the majority of the squad. Players like Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong or even the youngsters Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí have privately expressed their discomfort at the way the Canary Islander was treated.

Some even consider that Flick’s public criticism could affect the group’s morale at a key moment of the season, when Barcelona is fighting for the lead in LaLiga and to advance in Europe.