Gavi shares what Hansi Flick told him before his substitution in Barcelona vs. Sevilla | OneFootball

After missing the midweek Copa del Rey quarter-final tie against Valencia due to a head collision in the game against Alaves, the FC Barcelona midfielder Gavi was back in action as his team visited the Sanchez Pizjuan for their last La Liga match.

In fact, Hansi Flick slotted him straight back into his starting eleven, as he took the attacking midfielder spot, playing a more advanced role than Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, his two colleagues in the midfield last night.

However, he could play only the first half of the game, as he was replaced with Fermin Lopez at half-time. This change ended up having significant implications on the game, as Lopez first scored the goal which gave Barcelona the lead, and then ended up getting expelled, only 16 minutes after his introduction.

Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo reports that Gavi was one of the players who spoke to the media after the game, and revealed why Flick decided to take him out at the break:

“My knock was hurting quite a bit, and Hansi told me that with the yellow card, the match wasn’t for taking any risks.”

The midfielder also highlighted what his team needs to do to win La Liga: “La Liga is very long, and people thought we wouldn’t be in the race. This is a long journey—we have to win every remaining match if we want to win the league.”

Gavi also complained a bit about referees in this media talk: “The referees don’t hold back with me. The substitution was discussed with the coach.”

Although he played only for one half, it was good to see Gavi back in the starting lineup after his cruel head collision during the game against Alaves, following which he had to be taken to the hospital. Hopefully, he will continue to play an important role in the Blaugrana team going forward, and help them in this very tight La Liga race.