Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo have left FC Barcelona—at least temporarily—so a new captain is needed. Hansi Flick has now named Raphinha—but the actual vote is still pending.
On Wednesday, the annual Gamper Cup match is on the schedule, with FC Barcelona hosting the Egyptian club Al-Ahly at Camp Nou. It’s already clear who will deliver the equally traditional captain’s address to the fans: Raphinha.
“Until the vote, Raphinha will be the captain alongside Eric and Pedri,” Flick said on Tuesday. Based on last season’s order, it would actually have been Frenkie de Jong’s turn after ter Stegen (on loan to Ajax Amsterdam) and Araujo (on loan to Liverpool FC). According to Flick, he remains part of the captaincy group, but he’ll be out for an extended period due to a knee injury.
Recently, Spanish media reported that Flick and de Jong had a strained relationship. After the 29-year-old had already vehemently denied this, the coach has now done the same. “My relationship with de Jong is very good. He’s a very professional player, and we have an excellent relationship. I talk to him a lot about the next game and other things happening within the team,” Flick said.
The decision will be made by the entire squad
However, the final decision is to be made by the team—the entire team. After all, there’s still a lot in flux with the Catalans: Rodri, who is naturally also a candidate for higher roles, is set to sign soon. A center forward is being sought, and some players are still expected to leave the club. “I’ve provisionally appointed the captains until we vote, since the roster isn’t finalized yet. Therefore, we’ll hold the vote only once the roster is finalized,” Flick continued.
Flick is taking the match against Al-Ahly extremely seriously. The many World Cup players, who were due for a break, have only been arriving in Catalonia gradually, and as early as this coming Sunday, the reigning champions face their first league match against FC Elche. “For me, it’s also a special game because it’s the first home game of the season at Camp Nou in front of the fans,” said the 61-year-old. “Last season, we won every home game, and that was crucial to winning La Liga.”
