The new "Barcelona" has broken down.

When Hans-Dieter Flick came to Barcelona, the safety net in case of failure had already been laid. And it was not the coach who laid it, but life itself. In recent years, Barcelona has existed in a constant state of turbulence: management crises, financial difficulties, and ongoing puzzles related to the acquisition and registration of new players. Add to that the difficult departure of Xavi last season. Moreover, the fact that for Flick, La Liga was uncharted territory – he had never worked as a head coach outside of Germany.

But Flick entered in such a way that the problems of "Barça" were quickly forgotten. The Catalan team’s play at the start of the season was a real revelation. Both they and Liverpool were called the best teams in Europe – and this was absolutely justified. However, while Arne Slot inherited a ready team from Jürgen Klopp with growth potential, Flick essentially arrived at ruins. Yet, this didn’t stop him from immediately adapting and making Barcelona into something they had probably never been before – a team with pressing and an extremely high defensive line.

Shocking many, Barcelona soared to the top of La Liga and quickly recovered from a loss to Monaco in the Champions League, beginning to dominate there as well. The game clicked, the results followed – the happiness of the Catalan fans was limitless! But then came the everyday reality.
The everyday reality that we are witnessing right now. Barcelona is still high in the Champions League, still leading La Liga. But in the Spanish league, they are ahead of Real Madrid, who have faced numerous difficulties, by just one point.
And in the Champions League, Barça barely defeated a struggling Borussia, conceding two goals. Yes, in the round before, Flick's team comfortably dealt with Brest. However, firstly, Brest, with all their merits and successes, is no match for Barcelona, especially away. Secondly, the match against Brest was the only one since the victorious Clasico where Barça kept a clean sheet. For reference: the Clasico was on October 26, almost two months ago.

Opponents are adapting to Barcelona. It cannot be said that they have completely adapted yet. But what worked almost flawlessly at the start of the season (partly due to novelty) is now much less consistent. This primarily concerns the defensive line, which Flick raised as high as parents raise their children’s tights – up to the waist, meaning to the halfway line of the field.

Forwards from opposing teams are increasingly using a "hook" to break through. They retreat back, towards their own half of the field, make a bend, and then burst forward! For instance, Sheryldo Becker from Real Sociedad tortured Barcelona's defense. A similar move was performed by attacking players from Celta (Iago Aspas, Alfonso González), and from Betis (Vitor Roque, Chimi Ávila, Abde Ezzalzouli). In none of these matches did Barcelona win: against Celta and Betis, they drew, and they lost to Sociedad.
Aside from opponents adapting, another issue has surfaced for Barcelona – the squad shortage. It was clear at the start of the season that the team was under-staffed. It was also the case last season, and in the summer of 2024, it only worsened: Ilkay Gündoğan, Sergi Roberto, and Marcos Alonso left, and the loans of two João – Félix and Cancelo – expired. Yes, Barcelona made a significant acquisition in Dani Olmo. Plus, Eric García and Pablo Torre returned from loans at Girona. But more players left than came, and there were questions about the quality of those who arrived – García and especially Torre. And those questions still persist.

Flick handled this brilliantly. Firstly, he integrated Olmo very well. Secondly, Raphinha played better than ever, not only on the wings but also in the "number 10" role while Dani couldn’t play due to bureaucratic issues. Thirdly, Robert Lewandowski was revived. It seems Flick brought special keys from Germany to restart this goal machine. Fourthly, Pau Cubarsi and Íñigo Martínez formed an excellent central defensive partnership, with the latter, by the way, being a player the club considered selling, but Flick forbade it. And finally, fifthly, Hans-Dieter smoothly incorporated new young players: Marc Casado and his namesake Bernal, the latter of whom unfortunately suffered a serious injury shortly after.
Once again: the coach worked wonders. But he did not solve the issue of squad shortage – there are still not more players at his disposal. He couldn’t solve this problem – it is the club’s responsibility. Flick just temporarily disguised the lack of players, but in recent months, the camouflage he created is becoming less effective.

Casado was absent against Celta and did not play against Las Palmas. As a result, Barcelona lost at home to the Canaries on their 125th birthday. In the midfield, without Casado, there was a huge gap, which Las Palmas exploited well. The young player, who barely played for the first team last season, is now indispensable. On the one hand, this is a testament to both him and Flick, who recognized his potential and trusted him with a starting spot. On the other hand, Casado’s indispensability highlights how much Barcelona lacks players. The absence of a player who played just 35 minutes for the first team last season leads to a collapse.
Gavi has recovered and is playing more, but he does not provide the same defensive volume that Casado does. Frenkie de Jong has also recovered, but so far the Dutchman has been perhaps Barcelona's biggest disappointment this season. Pedri, Casado, and Olmo (or Raphinha, if Dani is unavailable) have formed an excellent midfield trio, with all roles clearly defined, leaving no place for de Jong in the starting lineup. When he does come on, his performances are underwhelming.
He came on to calm the game when Barcelona was leading Celta 2-0, and they finished 2-2 (although, of course, Casado’s red card played a role). He came on at 0-1 against Las Palmas to add pace and creativity. Both were added, but not thanks to Frenkie, but mainly because of Raphinha and Pedri. Barcelona eventually lost. Finally, in the match against Betis, de Jong came on when Barcelona was leading 1-0, and he gave away a penalty, which was converted.

If the Dutchman continues in this manner, his sale cannot be ruled out. There has always been demand for him, he is expensive, and Barcelona could use the money! But for now, this is just a hypothesis.
Barcelona’s great fortune is that none of the main defenders were out for long. This is especially true for the center. Firstly, Cubarsi and Íñigo have been excellent together. Secondly, until recently, there was virtually no adequate backup for them. Eric García was the only alternative, and Flick has used him more often in midfield. Ronald Araujo has just recovered, and Andreas Christensen is both injured and not registered for La Liga. They had to perform such a maneuver just to register Dani Olmo. A typical situation for Barcelona in recent years.
It’s frightening to think what would have happened if one of the central defensive pair, Cubarsi or Íñigo, had been out for a long period. Special applause for the courage of young Cubarsi, who after suffering a horrific facial injury in the match against Red Star, was back on the field in the next game. Pau hasn’t missed a single match for Barça this season. Íñigo missed one – against Osasuna. He was replaced by 19-year-old Sergi Domínguez. In that game, Flick gave many reserves a chance to play, and Barcelona lost 2-4. And once again, we come back to the issue of the quality of reserves and squad shortage.
The situation with the fullbacks is similar. There are absolute first-choice players – Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé. And then there are reliable backups – Hector Fort and Gerard Martín. Unlike the center, Flick rotates the fullbacks periodically. The difference in quality between the starters and the backups is very noticeable. So, if either Balde, Koundé, or both are out, another huge problem will arise, which is unlikely to be solved without external reinforcements.

In just a few months, Barcelona has become a hostage to their early-season success. Everything was so good at first that all the problems were forgotten, and high expectations quickly emerged. Now, however, comes the hangover. It’s time to come back down to earth. And this journey is far more unpleasant than rising to the top. It’s much easier to trap yourself in the prison of expectations than to escape from it later.
Hans-Dieter Flick is doing a great job. But Barcelona has not stopped being in crisis. And getting the club out of this global crisis is definitely not Flick’s job, that’s beyond his responsibilities. The coach is responsible for football, and in this domain, after an incredible start, Barcelona has also encountered problems. It’s extremely interesting to see how Flick will tackle them. He shocked everyone at the beginning of the season. Will he shock again?