Why Didn’t Barcelona Cancel Their Match Like Real Madrid?
These matches were postponed because they were set to take place in the Valencia region, the area hardest hit by the tragedy.
On Matchday 12 of Spain’s first division championship, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), together with LaLiga, decided to reschedule two matches—Valencia vs. Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano vs. Villarreal—as a show of respect and support for the families of over 100 people who lost their lives, as well as the many communities affected by this tragic DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels). Additionally, the Spanish government declared three days of national mourning, a significant gesture to honor the victims of this natural disaster.
Hansi Flick Would Have Suspended the Entire Matchday
Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, stated that if it had been up to him, "perhaps he would have suspended" the entire LaLiga matchday in light of the floods that have led to over 200 deaths, most of them in the state of Valencia.
“If I could make the decision, perhaps I would have suspended the matchday,” commented the German coach during the press conference prior to his team’s league match against Espanyol this Sunday at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys.
