"Every attack ended in a goal": Alaves coach describes night of horror against Barcelona
Quique Sánchez Flores took the blame for Alavés' 6-1 thrashing at the Camp Nou, venting his frustration at the display and insisting the criticism should land on him, not his players.
The Alavés boss reflected on the La Liga defeat by Barcelona, pointing out that the hosts punished his side's defensive errors and imposed their style on the game, with his own players short on cutting edge.
"I have a feeling that every Barcelona attack was going to end in a goal, and that is exactly what happened," Sánchez Flores said. "We were not strong or decisive enough. I apologise, and as the coach I accept the defeat, and more than ever I stand alongside my players."
On Barcelona's showing, he added: "When you imagine a match against Barcelona, you expect a match like this. We opened the door for them and made things easy for them. We lacked decisiveness and attacking effectiveness, and we did not pose enough of a threat to them. We had some chances when the score was 2-0, and we almost scored, but the other two goals settled the match."
Barcelona dictated the tempo throughout, as the Alavés manager made clear. "They played the match the way they wanted, controlled its course, and every time they attacked they scored a goal. We leave the pitch frustrated, and I want the criticism to be directed at the coach, not at my players."
He also touched on the mental toll of the result, urging a swift recovery and a focus on the errors. "This leaves a mark, and we have to realise that we could have produced a better performance, but the situation is temporary. We cannot keep thinking about what happened, we have to turn the page, identify our mistakes and work on correcting them."
Finally, the manager defended his players' hunger, explaining that they tried to shut down the spaces despite their exhaustion. "We did not lack desire or intent, but we made mistakes. And if there is no enthusiasm, then the coach has to reconsider the matter."
