The precedent that explains Flick’s complaint

Hansi Flick refused to ignore the detail. During Barcelona’s final training session ahead of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Atlético Madrid, the Barça manager voiced his concerns to UEFA delegate Christian Kofoed of Denmark over the condition of the pitch at the Metropolitano.

Images showed the blaugrana coach pointing to a specific area of the field in a conversation that underlined his worries about the height of the grass and the possibility that it may also be too dry.

Flick’s complaint did not come out of nowhere. It follows a very recent precedent: the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, a match in which the state of the Metropolitano pitch was also viewed as one of the factors that hurt Barcelona.

That night, Barça delivered one of their worst first halves of the season and went into the break trailing 4-0. The first blow came from a play that still lingers. A back pass from Eric García to Joan García ended in a goal after an awkward bounce sent the ball sharply upward just before the goalkeeper’s touch.

It was not an isolated incident. In other recent matches at the Metropolitano, there were also repeated slips, poor first touches, and mistakes from opposing goalkeepers. It happened, for example, in the Champions League tie against Tottenham, where Antonín Kinsky made two costly errors on plays influenced by an uneven surface.

Even Antoine Griezmann admitted after that match that Atlético had managed to “take advantage of some of their mistakes and also the state of the pitch.”

Questions over the playing surface at Atlético’s stadium are nothing new. In fact, several Atlético players have publicly voiced their frustration. Griezmann acknowledged months ago that the Metropolitano grass “doesn’t help much,” while Koke was even more direct, saying: “It’s not good. We slip, it comes up…”

Atlético has previously explained that the issues are caused by weather conditions and the natural wear of a stadium that also hosts concerts and major events, forcing the grass to be removed and replanted frequently.

Meanwhile, as reported by Gabriel Sans in Mundo Deportivo, UEFA downplayed the issue during its usual operational meeting with officials from both clubs before the match. Representatives reportedly assured Barcelona that they would “adjust and cut” the grass if necessary, insisting that a protocol is in place and there is no reason for concern.