Hansi Flick continues to shake up his starters at Barcelona – Report | OneFootball

Over the course of this season, there have been several changes within the regular Barcelona starting spots. Dominated by certain players over the last few years, Hansi Flick’s arrival has now changed that reality. Instead, only those who deliver the goods end up as regulars for Barcelona now.

However, the German coach was not in a rush to find his most effective starting eleven. Instead, over the course of the entire season so far, he has experimented with the player combinations that he has started and also with some riskier rotations when necessary.

Ultimately, it has taken some time but it now seems clear enough that Hansi Flick has made the adjustments that he needed to make. However, there are certain players who are definitely enjoying a less prominent season than they would have hoped to.

As highlighted by MARCA, Hansi Flick’s arrival has definitely been a catalyst for a major shake up at Barcelona. Now, from the goalkeeper to the more offensive roles, there are players who have gone from being regulars to back-ups over the last few months.

In goal, Wojciech Szczesny is now the player that Hansi Flick tends to rely on most consistently. He is undoubtedly the German coach’s number one choice in between the sticks, but that role belonged to Inaki Pena previously. However, it seems that the Barcelona coach had a change of heart but there is also the fact that Szczesny’s defensive record has been superior as well.

Similarly, Ronald Araujo’s case is a peculiar one as well. Despite being a guaranteed starter for the last few seasons, he has been eclipsed by the dominant partnership formed by Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez. Even with a renewed contract, the Uruguayan defender is still struggling to get regular minutes.

Another position where players began to lose prominence was the Barcelona midfield. Marc Casado, despite finding a lot of minutes and importance early on in the season, has since lost his starting role to Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong following his revitalized form in 2025.

Lastly, despite Dani Olmo being Barça’s big summer signing and the effort that went into registering him, he has not enjoyed a lot of minutes recently. While he did start against Atletico Madrid, it was Gavi who was starting for Barcelona more regularly over him in recent games.