Why is Barça's best centre-back the one who plays the least?

BarcelonaIñigo Martínez has left. Ronald Araujo has had to stop playing indefinitely due to anxiety. Eric Garcia is also needed in midfield. Gerard is acting as an emergency dispatch center. These are sensitive factors affecting the core of the defense, and there's a player—"with the capabilities to be the best center-back in the squad," as someone who has worked with him daily at ARA put it—who sits on the bench match after match. "Cubarsí isn't better at bringing the ball out from the back than him, but one is more daring and the other isn't," one person points out. "He was better than Iñigo, but one went out to dominate the game and the other is sometimes more timid," says another. Why isn't Andreas Christensen playing more for Hansi Flick's Barça? Injuries and physical discomfort aren't the only explanation.

After two seasons accumulating many quality minutes under Xavi Hernández and being an essential player in winning the 2022-2023 La Liga title, he hasn't achieved consistency under Flick—only three starts—despite the numerous changes in defense. In contrast, he plays every game for Denmark: he played the full 90 minutes in both matches during the last international break.

Christensen's first season with the German coach was an ordeal: he spent almost the entire year injured. After playing the last half hour of the league opener at Mestalla, tendinopathy in his left Achilles tendon, which required surgery, sidelined him for more than four months. Thanks to that diagnosis, the club was able to register Dani Olmo. The return wasn't easy, and injuries to his soleus muscle, where he often suffers, soon appeared, and he was unable to play until almost the end of the season. In short, he only participated in six matches for Barça.

There are footballers who are more resilient or less prone to injury. This isn't the case with Christensen, whose soleus muscle has frequently caused him problems. However, if the Dane isn't playing more for Barça, it's not only because they warnings Physical symptoms flare up easily. Sources consulted by this newspaper explain that there is also a psychological aspect, linked to managing pressure and self-confidence.

Despite having a different temperament than Araujo – Christensen is also wanted in the dressing room, but is much more introverted – both share a high level of anxiety regarding the fear of making mistakes. They performed at a very high level in the 2022-23 season, to the point that there were Premier League offers of up to 80 million to acquire the Uruguayan. Currently, Araujo has asked to stop due to anxiety following his sending-off at Stamford Bridge. But the crisis had been brewing for a long time.

The pressure with Barça is different than with Denmark

The Dane isn't at this extreme, but he does share with the Uruguayan that more mental suffering. It's not just the criticism, which many footballers try to shield themselves from even though it might reach them because it affects people around them, but also the self-imposed demands and self-awareness. In fact, the stress derived from the pressure also physically affects the athlete. Several people who work or have worked with Christensen agree that he has magnificent qualities – speed, positioning, reading the game, aerial ability, ball distribution, anticipation – but that the insecurities stemming from the fear of making mistakes limit his role. For Flick to trust him as a starter, he needs to see that he's in optimal condition to play. This requires a series of factors based on constant reinforcement of the player and positive stimuli so that he can find a context in which he feels "liberated," which is what he feels with Denmark, where he plays under less pressure than at Barça. The team's positive momentum and the player's own feeling that he's performing well are key elements. Flick, who gave him the entire second half against Betis last Saturday, is trying to get him back to full fitness little by little. "We have to encourage him and let him know that everything is alright, that he'll do well," sources in Sant Joan Despí point out, where there hasn't been a psychologist on staff since Laia Vinaixa left to join Ramon Planes in Saudi Arabia.

While some footballers need more encouragement, Christensen prefers a more praising approach, but one that is well-founded and reasoned, "because the player is the first to be aware of his performance." Araujo agrees. Managing pressure and the difficulty of coping with adverse situations have often prevented the Dane from fully committing to achieving excellence.

Christensen wants to stay at Barça

This led to remarkable performances during his best moments as a Barça player, but he could, for example, be more daring in breaking lines with his passing. The fear of losing possession or the feeling that a bad decision on his part could affect the rest of the team hinders the boldness he has been encouraged to adopt more than once. In fact, some believe that, based on his abilities, he could perform at the same level as, or even better than, Iñigo, who dazzled Barça fans last season. Mentally, Christensen suffers much more.

It's not a question that Barça didn't know when he signed him on a free transfer from Chelsea"It was a market opportunity, and he prioritized Barça over other clubs that wanted him, like Bayern," explains a person familiar with the negotiations. He signed a contract that expires this season, and the club has not yet initiated renewal negotiations. The player "is happy in Barcelona," according to someone close to the defender. "Andreas wants to stay in Barcelona and play for this club. He will fight to get back into the team and show the coach and the club that they can trust him. He still enjoys the fans' affection and would like to repay their support, to show them that he is good enough to play for their club. His family is very happy in the city, and the children are very content." The next few months will be crucial for Christensen, who will turn thirty in April.