One week before La Liga resumes, when his team faces Getafe, Hansi Flick has made a big decision: FC Barcelona will no longer have a fixed starting eleven.
Barcelona got off to a fantastic start this season. Before the international break, they had won all eight of their matches – seven in La Liga and one in the Champions League – averaging 4.5 goals per game.
A blistering start, which shocked everyone in Spain, with players like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in scintillating form. Needless to say, the Barcelona players weren’t exactly thrilled to see the break arrive.
Beyond the positive momentum that risks being disrupted, there’s the injury issue and that infamous ‘FIFA virus.’ It’s safe to say that in Barcelona, many were uneasy when Raphinha had to be substituted during Brazil’s match against Australia, even though the new Blaugrana number 9 ultimately didn’t suffer any major physical problems. A similar situation exists for Eric Garcia, who left the Spanish national team camp.
Hansi Flick Abandons Fixed Starting XI at Barcelona Ahead of PSG, Real Madrid Games
But above all, most of Barça’s starting players are also starters for their national teams. During an international break where some will play up to four matches, fatigue will be a factor, and Hansi Flick faces a major headache.
As reported by Sport, the German coach and his staff will rest key players ahead of an intense schedule of five matches in 15 days, including a trip to PSG and El Clásico.
The outlet describes this as a real revolution that will allow players like Gabriel Jesus, Hamza Abdelkarim, and even the young Brian Fariñas to earn their first starts of the season during this busy period. Even Jules Koundé, who has started only twice this season, should get more opportunities.
Beyond giving some players a rest, Hansi Flick wants everyone in his squad to stay 100% committed and motivated, and he knows he must distribute available playing time intelligently. This will also help create a healthy competitive atmosphere within the group.
For Hansi Flick, there will no longer be a fixed starting eleven, so we should expect significant lineup changes for each match. However, we imagine that against PSG or Real Madrid, it will be the usual starters. Let’s see how it goes.
Barcelona Boss Hansi Flick Makes Big Decision Before PSG, Real Madrid Games