Barcelona and the coaching staff receive a significant morale boost ahead of their Champions League opener, which comes with a tough away match against English side Newcastle.
The Catalan club say that German coach Hansi Flick and his assistant Marcus Sorg are both ready on the bench for the first match against Newcastle in the European competition.
UEFA accept Barcelona ’s appeal and lift Flick’s ban
The two coaches face the risk of missing the match due to sanctions from last season, when Barcelona was eliminated from the Champions League by Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
The UEFA Disciplinary and Control Body earlier decide to suspend Flick and Sorg for one match and fine them €20,000 each. But the Catalan club send an appeal against the ruling, and UEFA accept part of it.
Mundo Deportivo report that UEFA stop the sanction after looking at Barcelona’s reasons, and that makes Flick and Sorg free to sit on the bench for the first match of the tournament. The two coaches face claims of breaking the general code of conduct in the rules of the competition.
One year on probation
UEFA lift the sanction but give both Flick and Sorg a one-year probation. If they break the rules again, UEFA will punish them at once and bring the sanction back into effect.
Barcelona pay the legal costs for the appeal, but the good news is that Flick leads the team on Thursday in his first Champions League match. Fans look forward to the tournament after last season’s setback, when the team go out before the final.
Barcelona also get ready for a key La Liga clash against Valencia next Sunday, in the fourth round.
The Catalan side want to build strong momentum before facing Newcastle, and Flick’s presence on the bench gives the players and fans more belief that the team can start the Champions League with confidence.
