There was a period earlier this season where looking at the FC Barcelona bench felt like staring into an empty cupboard. With Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Fermín López all sidelined, Hansi Flick was essentially
coaching with one hand tied behind his back. When the starting XI hit a wall, there was no Plan B. It was just a hope that the tired legs on the pitch could somehow find a second wind.
The contrast now is startling. Since that humbling night at Stamford Bridge, where Barcelona lost to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League, the vibe around the squad has shifted. They have rediscovered that suffocating, high-intensity press we saw last season, but with a crucial difference: they can actually maintain it for 90 minutes. It isn’t just about a tactical masterclass from Flick. It is about having the personnel to keep the foot on the gas when the starters start to fade.
Nothing encapsulated this new reality better than the Supercopa semifinal against Athletic Club. It is a rare luxury to look at your substitutes and see Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and Marcus Rashford all sitting in tracksuits. The standout, however, was Roony Bardghji. A goal and two assists in a 5-0 rout is one way to remind the manager you are here. It is no wonder Fichajes is already reporting that Liverpool are sniffing around.
Perhaps the most interesting subplot in this rotation is Marcus Rashford. While his scoring touch has cooled since that hot streak in early November, his buy-in to the “Flick way” has been total. According to reports, the club is already preparing to make his stay in Catalonia permanent this summer. Flick can’t seem to stop praising the Englishman’s attitude, often calling him an “absolute professional.” The manager recently shared a snippet of a private conversation that tells you everything you need to know about the current locker room culture. When told he’d be starting on the bench, Rashford reportedly told Flick that it was only about the team and that winning was the only thing that mattered.
We saw it again in the league against Espanyol. Flick brought on Lewandowski, Pedri, and Olmo to actually change the rhythm of the game. And who scored when the match was 0-0? Well, Olmo and Lewandowski, who made it a 2-0 win.
It leaves Barcelona in an enviable, if difficult, position. Between Ferran Torres, Raphinha, and the heavyweights mentioned before, there’s always a “next man up.” For the first time in a long time, the competition for places at the Ciutat Esportiva is as fierce as the matches themselves.
