Hansi Flick sentenced Andreas Christensen after Inter-Barça: 'What he did is very serious'

Since Hansi Flick's arrival, Barça's locker room has become a united and compact group in which everyone rows in the same direction. That was the foundation of the team's successes last season and it's exactly what the German coach wants to recover for this campaign. However, an episode from Inter-Barça has now come to light that had remained hidden and calls into question that image of seamless unity in the culé locker room.

To understand the context, it's necessary to recall that thrilling Champions League semifinal tie between Inter and Barça. The Catalans were superior during many stretches of the clash, especially in ball circulation and pressing after losing possession. Nevertheless, Yann Sommer's saves and a goal by Acerbi in the 91st minute doomed the Catalans.

Andreas Christensen could have changed the result and Hansi Flick knows it

The truth is that everything could've been different if not for what happened with Andreas Christensen in the final minutes. With Inter pushing forward and Barça defending every ball to the maximum, Hansi Flick was very clear that he needed to reinforce the aerial game. That's where the Danish center-back comes into play.

According to what's been revealed in Lewandowski's biography, the role ofAndreas Christensenthat night was as surprising as it was decisive. The book reveals an episode that, until today, hadn't become public and explains many of Flick's subsequent decisions. The account focuses on the management of substitutions in the final stretch of the match.

"Knowing that his team would be bombarded with crosses, Hansi Flick had decided to bring Andreas Christensen, who's 6 ft. 1.6 in. (187 cm) tall, onto the field, but he couldn't. Flick's assistant reported that Christensen, right before stepping onto the field, had told him that  his back hurt.Flick wasn't convinced that the Dane was really injured, but he didn't have time to dwell on it, and for that reason he decided to bring on Robert Lewandowski instead".

Andreas Christensen refused to play and Hansi Flick has marked him

We all know the final result: Inter equalized in the 91st minute, precisely, through a cross from the wing. The culé defense couldn't clear yet another ball sent into the box and the punishment was immediate. It's impossible to say for sure that Andreas Christensen's presence would've changed the outcome, but it's likely it would have.

For a coach like Hansi Flick, who bases much of his message on commitment, reliability, and collective effort, the scene is very serious and must have consequences. It's not about whether he was injured or not, but about the timing of the communication and the interpretation the coaching staff can make. In a critical situation like that, Andreas Christensen should've made an effort to play.

Since that episode, Hansi Flick's trust in Andreas Christensen has been eroding. In the most demanding matches, it'll be difficult for the German coach to rely on the Danish defender again.