Barcelona’s La Liga match with Osasuna has been rescheduled for March 27, right in the middle of the international break. Sounds like a logistical nightmare? That’s because it is. With key players away on national duty,Hansi Flick will be left scratching his head to field a competitive team.
Why Was the Match Postponed?
The original fixture, set for March 8, was called off due to tragic circumstances. Just minutes before kickoff, news broke that Barcelona’s team doctor, Minarro Garcia, had passed away. The players were emotional, and the club decided to postpone the match. Football can wait—some things are more important than the game.
The Scheduling Problem
Now, Barcelona is in a scheduling mess. The RFEF (Spanish Football Federation) decided that the match should be played as close to the original date as possible. But with the international break coming in between, that decision comes at a cost.
Spanish players should be available since La Roja’s Nations League match against the Netherlands is on March 23. But what about the South Americans? Raphinha will play for Brazil against Argentina on March 25, while Araujo will play for Uruguay against Bolivia. Safe to say that Barca will be missing some firepower.
Why Didn’t Barcelona Push for a Later Date?
Barcelona and Osasuna actually wanted to play between matchdays 37 and 38—closer to the end of the season—hoping to avoid the international break chaos. As the RFEF admitted, both clubs argued that this would “minimize conflicts with the call-ups of players to national teams.” But the federation stuck to its rules, and now Barcelona is in trouble.
What’s Next for Barcelona?
With key players missing, Flick will have to improvise. Youngsters and squad players might be thrown into the deep end, which could be a blessing in disguise or a catastrophe waiting to happen. Osasuna, midtable, won’t mind taking advantage of a weakened Barca team.
The question is: will this come back to haunt Barcelona in the title race? La Liga isn’t won or lost in one game, but in a season where every point counts, this scheduling mishap could prove costly. Comment?
