Two names he picked himself
Hansi Flick did not put the whole thing to a vote. Two of Barcelona’s captains were his call and his alone. Raphinha and Pedri.
The rest went to the dressing room. Players chose the other three armbands. The German confirmed the new order on Sunday, before the trip to Valencia.
His explanation ran to a single line. “I have been here for three years and I know the team better now. I chose Raphinha and Pedri, and the players picked the other three.”
Try it for $0.99.
Three years of watching, then a decision
Flick leaned on the time he has had. “My staff and I understand the squad better, and it is important for me to identify the influential players,” he said.
He also refused to expand. “I did not want to comment on the other three, only on those two, because they are key. It was an obvious choice for me, because I know the team better than before.”
The old leadership group had been gutted. Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo are gone. Barcelona were rebuilding the hierarchy from nothing.
Eric Garcia and Lamine Yamal come away with new weight on their shoulders. Yamal is now a Barcelona captain. Three seasons ago he had not played a senior minute.
A line aimed at everyone else
“In the end, the team chose these players, and for me, it is a good group, with leadership,” Flick said, closing the subject.
Then he added one more thought. “I need all the players and their commitment to the team.” No name attached. That was the point.
Mestalla this afternoon will start supplying the answers.
Discover the rest of the Football news on our mathodds site and app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply