The theory of hands for Barça: This one yes, this one no

On May 11, in the last Clásico played at Montjuïc, around the 80th minute, Ferran Torres shot, hitting Tchouaméni's arm inside the box. Mbappé had just scored to make it 4-3, and Flick's team, coming off a seemingly impossible comeback from 2-0 down, wanted to further distance themselves. It looked like a clear handball. But Hernández Hernández didn't award a penalty. Not even when VAR, with Martínez Munuera in charge, urged him to review his decision on the monitor. In the conversation captured by the VAR, the referee said: "Tchouaméni had his arm down. It's not a penalty for me." In other words, he considered the Frenchman's arm to be in a natural position. Even so, Barcelona managed to hold on to their creditable 4-3 lead.

At the Ciutat de València stadium, Barça once again enjoyed the classic comebacks they had accustomed Barcelona fans to last season. They went from a worrying 2-0 deficit at halftime to a 3-2 deficit in the 91st minute. It was a very valuable result considering the footballing script and, once again, the refereeing script. Flick couldn't help but ironically applaud Hernández Hernández when he saw the change in approach compared to what happened at Montjuïc. With Barça trailing 1-0, this time the referee did listen to Figueroa Vázquez after Balde's handball intercepted a Morales shot between the posts: "Alejandro, I recommend you come and see a potential penalty for handball," he said. And Hernández Hernández went to the monitor, and although Balde appeared with his left arm almost glued to his body, not occupying any space outside the goal when the ball hit him, his hand didn't waver. "Take your arm out," he said. And this time, he did award the penalty, which ended with a 2-0 score.

The VAR audios “Alejandro, I recommend you come see a potential penalty for handball,” he said.

In a season in which video refereeing is intended to be very hands-off and referees seek to convey a sense of closeness, Flick and the rest of the coaching staff might appreciate it if the now-called Alejandro Hernández, along with Jorge Figueroa, explained the difference between the two plays. "We recently had a talk at the training ground," Pedri revealed. "Tchouaméni's handballs on Montjuïc were clearer and they didn't call them, but today they did. The bottom line is that I don't understand it," the Canary Islander added.

Read also Barça leaves Valencia with a lesson to learn and a question about the rules: "I don't understand the handball thing." Alberto Martínez

In any case, after a lackluster first half in which Raphinha played as a playmaker and Rashford as a winger in an experiment that didn't quite pan out, Flick shook up the bench. He benched the Englishman, relocated Raphinha to his classic left flank, and brought on Olmo as a playmaker. Gavi also came on to replace Casadó in a substitution Flick had already planned for in his "I need everyone, no one's for sale" strategy. After goals from a tireless Pedri and Ferran, a cross from Lamine Yamal in the 91st minute found Unai's head to make it 2-3. "I'll take the reaction. We know how to turn it around," said Pedri. "I'm not sure it was handballs. The important thing is that we came away with three points," concluded Flick, confirming that Barça is the club of the last minute.

“I'm not sure it was a handball, but the important thing is that we took the three points,” says Flick.

And not just in the sporting arena. Last-minute player registrations have also been a priority in the offices. The deadline for registering Gerard Martín, Szczesny, Roony, and Bernal has begun.