Culer Strauss

🚨🎙️ Thierry Henry on Barcelona’s first-half performance against Alavés: “Honestly, what surprised me the most was seeing Hansi Flick come up with something different in his lineup. When I first saw Frenkie de Jong in the starting XI, I was a little confused. I was looking at the screen thinking, is Hansi Flick actually doing this? (laughs) But clearly, the man had something special planned for his boys because Frenkie has handled it with so much calmness and experience. We have to give him credit because I honestly didn’t expect him to play that role so well. He has been very comfortable, and you can see how much intelligence he brings to this team. And Raphinha… OMG! I genuinely don’t think there is a team in Europe that can stop this guy when he’s playing like this. Barcelona need to find every possible way to protect him from picking up an injury during the international break because, right now, he looks like one of the most important players in Flick’s entire system. Two goals already in 45 minutes, and we still have another 45 to play. What more can you say? Fermín has been incredibly active, too, and the same goes for Lamine Yamal. At this point, I don’t think anybody should be surprised by what those two bring to the pitch anymore. They are becoming players you expect to influence games every single time they play. But if there is one player I want to commend again, it is Pedri. My goodness, this boy is just too good. He keeps reminding me why football should never be measured by statistics alone. He has no goal, no assist in this game, but his influence has been absolutely incredible. The way he controls the tempo, finds spaces and makes everybody around him better is something special. Sometimes you have to watch football properly to appreciate what a player like Pedri brings. Anyway, it’s only 45 minutes. We still have a long way to go, and Barcelona cannot afford to switch off. But I think Flick needs to understand one thing: it wasn’t Alavés who committed the crime. It was Real Madrid and PSG! (laughs)”

🚨🎙️ Peter Schmeichel on Manchester City’s controversial penalty decisions against Brighton: “Honestly, I will never understand what has been going on with Premier League referees lately. And I’m saying this knowing very well that Manchester City are a rival, so I have absolutely no reason to defend them or pretend I’m on their side. But sometimes you have to be honest about what you’re watching. I keep replaying both incidents, trying to understand exactly why a penalty wasn’t given. Not once, but twice. And I’m sorry, I genuinely cannot understand the decisions. At some point, you start asking yourself what exactly the officials are looking at because those are situations that deserve serious consideration. From my point of view, it actually feels like they really wanted Manchester City to lose this game. I’m not saying that is what happened, but when you look at those two incidents and neither results in a penalty, you have to question the consistency of the decisions. And how long are we going to keep overlooking things like this? These decisions can change the entire direction of a game. They can be the difference between winning, drawing and losing, especially in a match of this importance. Now, let me be clear. Brighton deserve enormous credit. They played a fantastic game, defended brilliantly and you could see how much effort they put into stopping Manchester City from scoring at the Etihad. They came with a plan and executed it extremely well. But giving Brighton their credit doesn’t mean we should ignore what happened with those penalty decisions. Both things can be true. Brighton deserved their performance, but those penalties could have changed the game. And that is exactly why these decisions need to be discussed.”

🚨🎙️ Zlatan Ibrahimović on Raphinha being called up for international duty again. “I think Barcelona would be making a big mistake if they allow him to go again, especially for international friendlies. And I already know what people will say. ‘Why shouldn’t he represent his country? It’s an honour to play for your nation.’ Of course it is. Nobody is questioning that. But there is a difference between representing your country and putting your club in a difficult position every time you travel. “Look at what happened last season. Raphinha picked up an injury during international duty, missed crucial matches against Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona ended up paying the price. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe Barcelona would have been eliminated if he had played both legs. He is the kind of player who can change a big game, and his absence was a massive loss. “Now, the same story is happening again. He started this season brilliantly, was looking like one of Barcelona’s most important players, then another international break comes around, he gets injured, and now he is being called up again. “Why must Barcelona keep taking this risk? I understand national pride, but Barcelona are also competing for important trophies. They invest in these players, pay their salaries and depend on them throughout the season. “And when something goes wrong, the national team moves on. Barcelona are the ones left cleaning up the mess. At some point, the club has to protect its own interests.”