Who is a friend of whom in the Barça dressing room

BarcelonaOne of the keys to understanding the good performance of Hansi Flick's Barça, unstoppable in this third season of the German at the head of the bench, is also the good atmosphere in the locker room. The sources consulted by ARA ensure that taking care of the players' mental health is also a pillar for the coach.

It helps that the bulk of the team is made up of home-grown players, who have known each other for many years, either from having played together in the youth academy or from having shared day-to-day life at La Masia. The 2007 generation, led by Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí and Bernal –and to which we must now add Espart, a good friend of Cubarsí–, is a good example of this. In addition, many of them have played together in the lower categories of the Spanish national team and, currently, in the senior team.

The Spanish internationals, Kounde and Gordon

In fact, the group of Spanish internationals is one of the main groups within the locker room, although it is naturally divided –due to prior acquaintance and affinities– into subgroups. These are Eric, Olmo, Joan and Pedri, who has been left orphaned of his best friend in the locker room with Ferran's departure to PSG. Furthermore, the majority of these footballers' parents have forged a good relationship and usually have pre-match drinks together during the team's trips.

Kounde –although he is one of the players who keeps most to himself– is also close to this group, as well as two of the signings: Rodri, who knows them from the Spanish national team, and Gordon, the most surprising case. The Brit, instead of being part of the expats group, in reference to the English-speaking footballers in the locker room, has been welcomed with open arms by this group. Pedri has acted as his master of ceremonies with rather broken English. Gordon is a firm admirer of Barça's football and, especially, of the Canarian midfielder.

Lamine Yamal, Gavi and the Lusophones

One of the most respected figures in the locker room is Lamine Yamal, due to his footballing pedigree and, despite his youth, also for his seniority in the first team, where he began to emerge from the second half of the 2022-23 season. The number 10, besides being one of the captains chosen by vote by his teammates, has in Alejandro Balde, Gavi and also Brian Fariñas –since this season with a first-team registration– three of his main companions.

Previously Lamine also bonded with Ansu Fati, Héctor Fort and Casadó. Furthermore, the star maintains a great relationship with Raphinha. The Brazilian, captain –chosen by Hansi Flick– with and without an armband, in fact, is one of the footballers who most ensures a good atmosphere. In this way, the group expands to the Lusophones –players who share Portuguese as their mother tongue–, including Gabriel Jesus and Cancelo. The Portuguese full-back, moreover, maintains an excellent relationship with Gavi. Roony, out with a long-term injury, is also part of this group.

The youngest from La Masia and Fermín

This group, also made up of internationals with the Spanish national team, is fundamentally integrated by Cubarsí, Bernal, Gerard and Espart. It is also the group with whom Fermín is closest. The Andalusian attacking midfielder smoothed things over with Gavi after the internal dispute they had in the summer of 2025, in which Hansi Flick had to intercede, but the relationship, although now more than correct, has not returned to being as close as before. The sources consulted also highlight the interrelation that exists between groups and that the atmosphere is "very good in general": for example, Joan also gets along quite well with Gerard and Bernal; just as Fermín does with Raphinha, Lamine and Pedri.

The English-speaking players

Regarding the group in the dressing room that communicates in English, it has been losing weight with the departure of Lewandowski and Ter Stegen. It was made up of them along with Christensen, De Jong, and Szczesny, who is very well-liked by the entire dressing room in general. Language is, obviously, a generator of bonds. Since this season, the Egyptian Hamza and the Croatian Livakovic have joined this group. Also Karim Adeyemi, who has impressed the dressing room, above all, with his speed.