Quique Sánchez Flores: "We leave frustrated, I take responsibility for the defeat"

Alavés manager Quique Sánchez Flores took responsibility for the defeat at Barcelona, saying he failed to transmit the necessary aggression to his players.

Quique Sánchez Flores faced the media after Deportivo Alavés's loss at Barcelona, taking personal responsibility for the result. "It's the coach's fault if I haven't transmitted the message," he said. "As a coach, I assume the error of the defeat. I know what it feels like to lose like that."

The Alavés manager, speaking on crutches following meniscus surgery, expressed frustration with how the match unfolded. He felt Barcelona committed more fouls (14) than his side (11), which he considered problematic. He singled out Yusi's marking of Lamine Yamal as the only instance where his players showed the necessary aggression. Despite trailing 2-0 at half-time, Sánchez Flores noted Alavés had created chances of their own.

The defeat extends Alavés's run without a win in La Liga to seven matches. However, Sánchez Flores insisted the team would recover: "This match has an immediate impact, but that mark, that impact must be temporary. We can't stay with the error. We will rise again."