With the third project of the Hansi Flick era already underway and awaiting the return of the internationals and the resolution of the signing of the center forward – for now it does not seem that Atlético de Madrid is willing to loan Julián Álvarez – there is a not insignificant issue that is not monopolizing media attention: the captaincy of Barça. It is an important aspect because it is not just about negotiating bonuses or deciding who lifts the trophy, but about leadership in the locker room, a key element for a team that aspires to compete for all titles.
Ter Stegen, the first captain, has been sent by Barça to Ajax, paying him 90% of his salary and giving him all possible facilities to leave, since Flick did not want to see him at all and considered that he represented a serious problem for coexistence. Ronald Araújo has experienced a season with more downs than ups: emotionally affected, with physical problems that prevented him from playing the World Cup, and on Friday he did not play a single minute in the friendly in Birmingham, which could also be interpreted as a sign that Flick is not entirely convinced of his continuity. Frenkie de Jong, who arrived injured, will be out for at least four weeks and, although from Barça it has been commented that the medical services preferred him to have surgery on his right knee, he has insisted on following conservative treatment. In short, his relationship with the club is not going through its best moment.
And then there are Raphinha and Pedri. The Brazilian spares no effort on the field and this has taken a physical toll on him, but he remains one of Flick's favorite footballers, as is Pedri, who was so overworked – it was even defended that it was better for him to play than to rest – that he arrived physically diminished at the World Cup and lost his starting position with the Spanish national team. There is no doubt about them, but it is legitimate to wonder why a club that boasts – and rightly so – of its academy and La Masia does not have a homegrown player as captain. A reflection on this issue would not be out of place.
Wearing the captain's armband is not a mere aesthetic issue, but above all a moral and emotional one: it means assuming leadership and having the ability and character to motivate, influence, and guide the rest. A team like Barça needs captains of stature and, if they also know the club well, even better.
