Flick says 'I will never forget this day' as Barcelona wins La Liga after death of coach's father

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was in the dugout for Sunday's clasico against Real Madrid following the death of his father, with the Catalan club winning its second consecutive Spanish league title.

Barcelona beat Madrid 2-0 at Camp Nou just a few hours after the club announced the death of Flick’s father.

“I will never forget this day," Flick said. “It was a tough day for me. It starts with this (news that) my father passed away, but here, my team is fantastic.”

Flick's father reportedly died overnight. The club did not give any additional details.

“FC Barcelona and the entire blaugrana family wish to send all our love to Hansi Flick after the passing of his father,” Barcelona said in a statement. “We share in your sorrow and our thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.”

Barcelona and Madrid players wore black armbands and there was a moment of silence before kickoff.

Barcelona entered the last clasico of the season leading Madrid by 11 points with four rounds remaining in La Liga. It comfortably defeated Madrid with first-half goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres.

“Flick has been very important for us,” midfielder Frenkie de Jong said. "He has very clear ideas, but inside there is a lot of freedom for the players. This way we can show our quality.”

Barcelona players threw Flick up in the air during the title celebrations.

“This is like a family and they gave everything today and I’m really proud,” Flick said. "It’s amazing, in this stadium, and also in the clasico against Real Madrid, to win La Liga.”

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Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, center, is embraced by his staff celebrating after defeating Real Madrid 2-0 to win the Spanish La Liga soccer championship with three rounds to spare, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick gestures during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

Barcelona players embrace Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, center, celebrating after defeating Real Madrid 2-0 to win the Spanish La Liga soccer championship with three rounds to spare, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick lifts his award to the sky celebrating after defeating Real Madrid 2-0 to win the Spanish La Liga soccer championship with three rounds to spare, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is lifted by his players after winning the Spanish La Liga soccer match against Real Madrid to clinch the Spanish league title in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick stands by the touchline before the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso’s military government severed diplomatic ties with France, its former colonial ruler that had been a key security partner for the West African nation before relations fractured.

The junta said in a statement Friday it broke off relations with France effective immediately, accusing it of "blatant neo-colonial ambitions and active support for subversive networks and terrorists,” without providing evidence.

France’s Foreign Minsitry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said in a statement that the country regrets the “hostile and unfounded decision, which illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabè authorities.”

“Necessary reciprocal measures are currently under review,” he said. Confavreux added that France is monitoring the safety of French government personnel and citizens in Burkina Faso and urged them to exercise heightened vigilance.

The West African country of 23 million people has been battered by yearslong violence perpetrated by extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as government forces often accused of extrajudicial killings. Its wider Sahel region is the world’s deadliest region for extremism.

It was unclear what would follow the end of diplomatic relations or how the French embassy in Burkina Faso would be affected.

“The conditions essential for fostering relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, and respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are no longer met,” Burkina Faso’s Communications Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo said in a statement.

The two sides suffered broken relations for years.

Burkina Faso's military government has in the past targeted foreign diplomats, including the French, whom it has often accused of working against its interests. In 2023, the junta asked France to recall its ambassador and declared the United Nations’ resident and humanitarian coordinator in the country persona non grata, while in 2024, it expelled three French diplomats for alleged subversive activities.

France was Burkina Faso's major security partner until a 2022 coup. The junta then sacked hundreds of French forces sent to fight extremist groups.

The violence has worsened under the military government that had promised to curb it, analysts say.

In the two years following the coup, Burkina Faso forces allegedly killed twice as many civilians as extremists, according to a recent report by the Human Rights Watch, which blamed government forces for at least 1,200 of the 1,837 civilians killed in the country between January 2023 and August 2025.

FILE - In this photo provided by RIA Novosti, Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore arrives at the Grand Palace at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on May 10, 2025. (Stanislav Krasilnikov/RIA Novosti via AP, File)