Hansi Flick Shocks Fans by Naming Raphinha Captain and Snubbing Frenkie de Jong—What’s Behind the Controversial Decision?

The German boss also left the door open to potential changes with the transfer market still open, while also unveiling the other two alternative captains of the team. “Because our team is not finished yet, maybe we will have some more players, or have players leaving. And when it’s done, we will make the vote. And till this happens, Rafa is the captain, with Eric (Garcia) and Pedri,” Flick added.

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Eric Garcia emerged from La Masia before joining Manchester City’s U-18 team back in 2017, while Pedri joined Barcelona from Las Palmas back in 2019 when he was just 16 years old. Despite their Spanish lineage, and also his early links with the institution, it was Raphinha who was picked as the main captain for Hansi Flick.

Arriving to Barcelona from Leeds United in 2022, Raphinha emerged as one of the best forwards in the world, and now at his 29 years old, he managed to claim the bracelet once used by Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi in recent times. However, his personality as a captain was already seen last season with Raphinha comforting a dejected Hansi Flick following a 3-1 win over Deportivo Alaves, where the German was unconvinced by the performance.

In that game back in November, Raphinha was the captain, and since then, in the 2025-26 season, the Brazilian captained 9 different games across all competitions. In comparison, Pedri’s case, the 23-year-old wore the bracelet in 9 games too, while Eric Garcia debuted as a captain back in March 2026 in a 1-0 away win against Athletic Bilbao.

Flick addresses Frenkie de Jong’s case

After the 2026 World Cup, news erupted revealing that Frenkie de Jong suffered a tear in his inner lateral ligament of his right knee, and injury that’d sideline him for quite some time. In a recent interview he also clarified some rumors over a “stiff relationship” with coach Hansi Flick and his desire to leave Barcelona, to what the German boss backed him up.

When asked about De Jong’s situation and his role as a captain, Hansi Flick was clear: “Frenkie is injured, so I decided that. The relationship with Frenkie and me is very good. Frenkie is matured, and he is also a very professional player. Our relationship is top. I always speak with him also about things what happens around the team also about the next game. We speak a lot. For me, he is an important player, but because he also have a huge quality he can give to us.“

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