The holidays are over. This Sunday, FC Barcelona returns to work with medical check-ups, while on Monday 14th, training will begin at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, where several players are already working. With this ‘back to school’ return, coach Hansi Flick has to make important decisions again, with the focus on the goal, where he has four goalkeepers under contract.
The goalkeeping dilemma
With the arrival of Joan García and the renewal of Wojciech Szczęsny, Barça now has four goalkeepers on its roster: Marc-André Ter Stegen, Iñaki Peña, García, and Tek. With this scenario, the coach must manage the dressing room and make decisions. Everything points to the situation being clear, but there is one destabilizing factor: his compatriot and captain Ter Stegen.
Barcelona did not want to miss the opportunity that presented itself to sign Joan García this summer. He is a great goalkeeper with a bright future ahead of him. He has arrived to be the first-choice keeper and everything points to that, although he has not yet been registered. The club’s idea is for him to be the first-choice keeper, with Tek as his backup.
Szczesny will be the backup goalkeeper and may start in some competitions after recently renewing his contract with the Azulgrana. He arrived as a backup and ended up becoming an undisputed starter, earning the right to continue wearing the Barça jersey. The Polish player arrived at the club almost as a favor to replace Ter Stegen and be the backup for Iñaki Peña, but it didn’t take him long to turn the tables.
Iñaki Peña is one of the protagonists of this story that Hansi Flick will have to deal with. The goalkeeper still has a year left on his contract, but he has known for some time that he has to leave FC Barcelona and is considering several options, but none have materialized to date and he will have to be back at work.
Everything seems clear, were it not for Ter Stegen. The captain does not accept the club’s decision to dispense with him and wants an explanation. The coach will have to have an uncomfortable conversation with the captain in which he will tell him that he is not counting on him. The German has been very emphatic that he will not leave the club and that if he does, it will be by terminating his contract and receiving the full amount remaining on it, three years and $42 million. He has had offers and the World Cup is looming, but he may not leave until January. He wants to fight for his place in the starting line-up.
Keeping a close eye on the youth academy
Another decision Hansi Flick will have to face on his return to work is evaluating the youth players who are with the first team. According to Sport, during his first few days back, the German will have to decide which players will travel with the team on their Asian tour, hoping to earn a place in the first team. For the moment, according to the aforementioned source, Landry, Juan Hernández, Jan Virgili, Ibrahim Diarra, Toni and Guille Fernández, Dro and Jofre Torrents will have the opportunity to earn the coach’s trust.