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New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Barcelona's breakout star for 2025-26: Marc Bernal looking to put 346 days of injury hell behind him
When Marc Bernal fell to the ground in the 94th minute of Barcelona's visit to Rayo Vallecano last August, he knew it was bad. That was why Pau Cubarsi and Dani Olmo covered their faces as soon as they came over to their team-mate. The then 17-year-old midfielder's dream was over for that season before it had even really begun — he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and suffered an associated injury to his outer meniscus, ruling him out for the campaign in just its third game. Advertisement When Hansi Flick was appointed as Barcelona coach in May last year, Bernal had spent the previous season with their second team, Barca Atletic, in Spain's third division. The German arrived with a good knowledge of all the club's young players and had asked for references on all of them. He had been told that one starlet had shown potential to be the first team's defensive midfielder for some time to come. He'd been labelled a 'new Sergio Busquets', something Barca had been looking for since the Spain international's departure at age 34 after the previous campaign. That summer of 2024 featured two international tournaments, the European Championship and the Copa America, meaning many key Barcelona players returned later than usual from their holidays after being on duty with their country. Flick therefore had to start his first pre-season in charge with a very young group and then also take some of them on the club's pre-season tour to the United States. That gave those youngsters a chance to get to know their new manager and gain some valuable minutes with the first team. Several stood out, but one of them totally kicked down the doors: Bernal. Flick loved the defensive midfielder's style of play. With Frenkie de Jong suffering from an ankle injury and the club having looked to sign someone in that position for some time anyway, the answer appeared to be right there at home, particularly given Barca's delicate financial situation. Previous coach Xavi had wanted Martin Zubimendi, then at Real Sociedad, in 2023, while the club were keen on Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich. But when Flick saw the youth-team pairing of Bernal and Marc Casado, now 21, he decided there was no need to sign anyone else. The search for a defensive midfielder was halted. Forming a double pivot with Casado at the base of midfield in that pre-season, Bernal's talent did not go unnoticed. After a friendly against his Manchester City side, Pep Guardiola said, 'Marc Bernal has impressed me, the way he controls the ball, the way he plays.' Bernal is a player who is reminiscent of Busquets in many ways. Though he now stands at 6ft 4in (193cm), four centimetres taller than the Barca and Spain legend, he resembles him in terms of his intelligence on the ball, control and ability to start moves from the back. As was the case with the now Inter Miami midfielder, dressing-room sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — say Bernal's attitude is impeccable. Advertisement The confidence Flick showed in him was not only evident in conversations, but also his decision to name him in the starting line-up for the first few games of last season. Bernal was caught out for one of the goals Monaco scored in the pre-season Joan Gamper friendly match, which Barcelona lost 3-0, but Flick kept him in the starting line-up when the season officially started. Bernal and Casado started the first La Liga match of the season together against Valencia, but Flick's choice between the two was clear when Pedri returned to the starting XI after a rest following his triumph with Spain at the Euros, with Bernal given the nod. He continued in defensive midfield against Athletic Club and Rayo before his injury in the latter game on August 27. Casado stepped up in Bernal's absence, even staying in the line-up when De Jong was available again. But the Dutchman eventually regained his place and went on to show some of his best form in his six seasons at Barca. Even so, Flick's second choice in the position is still Bernal. He has made this clear to the player himself, while also saying he wants to be patient with him and avoid any risk of an injury relapse. Bernal was finally medically discharged from his injury on Friday — 346 days after it happened — although Barca doctors advise that players under 20 who suffer that kind of knee issue generally take around a year before they are available for selection again (August 27 would be after Barca's first two La Liga matches against Real Mallorca and Levante). Sources close to the player say Flick has spoken to him a lot since his injury. Once Bernal underwent surgery, he even went to see him in hospital, giving him a self-improvement book called Supera Tus Limites (Overcome Your Limits) by psychologist Jordi Gil Martin. The German wrote a dedication to Bernal at the front of the book, which went beyond a 'get well soon' message, according to sources close to the player, reminding him he was still very young and had his whole career ahead of him, which Bernal was amazed by. Advertisement During his time away from the pitch, he has trained hard and gained muscle mass, especially in his upper body. He has also grown two centimetres in height. Voices close to him say it was possibly the hardest time of his life; in an interview with club channel Barca One, Bernal said sometimes he wanted to spend whole days sleeping. He lived at the club's La Masia youth facilities during his recovery, although he had to spend the first month and a half in a hotel opposite. The club offered him that option so he could be with his mother, as he needed help with everything in the first month after his operation, including washing himself, dressing, walking and cooking. Having turned 18 in May, he will leave La Masia to live independently elsewhere. Those close to Bernal are confident he has developed the tools to deal with any more tough times that might come his way in the future. He was also helped by seeing a coach he has worked with since the age of 14 on a weekly basis. While he was injured, the club renewed his contract until 2026, inserting a €500million release clause. Bernal's return to action will be gradual, and he is expected to start playing more from mid-September onwards. As fate would have it, his return could happen on the very pitch where he was injured: Barca's third league game of the season is away against Rayo on August 31. However, club sources say it may be delayed until a few weeks later, with the midweek Champions League fixtures coming into the picture from September 16. He could also step up to the plate when De Jong needs a rest or suffers an injury. A year on from his lowest point, everything is going Bernal's way. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
FC Barcelona Flick Chooses Which Defender To Sell
FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and his staff have decided which of the club's many central ... More defenders it should try and sell this summer according to Mundo Deportivo, which cited anonymous sources. FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and his staff have decided which of the club's many central defenders it should try and sell this summer according to Mundo Deportivo, which cited anonymous sources. The German currently has an 'overbooking' of centre backs in his recently domestic treble-winning squad. For much of 2024/2025, and most likely moving forward, Flick's first choices were Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez. This was mostly prompted by Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo out being injured, and a lack of a natural right back other than La Masia graduate Hector Fort meant that Jules Kounde played in the position. Together, Cubarsi and Martinez became one of Europe's best central defensive partnerships, making it difficult for Araujo to find his way into the first XI when he finally returned from the knock picked up in the Copa America during Uruguay's Copa America quarterfinal win against Raphinha's Brazil. Towards the end of the season, Araujo was criticized for perceived blunders against Inter Milan in a Champions League semi-final second leg defeat at the San Siro, while some thought that Christensen was the steadier option off the bench or when Flick's regulars need a rest if not unavailable. Moving forward, Barca needs to sell a center back and plans to keep four of them according to Mundo Deportivo. Counting Kounde as a full back, the three certs are Cubarsi, Martinez and Eric Garcia, with the latter making the list because of his versatility across the backline and as a defensive midfielder. That means that it comes down to a decision between Araujo and Christensen, and the same paper writes that Flick and his staff have opted for the South American. Because the Dane arrived at Camp Nou on a free from Chelsea in 2022, Christensen's potential sale is more attractive from a financial perspective because it would present pure profit for the Catalans. As his contract only runs until June 30, 2026, however, Barca would have to act swiftly in demanding a fee for the 29-year-old. FC Barcelona might not have a say in Araujo staying Even though Flick wants Araujo, FC Barcelona might be powerless in having Araujo stay if someone triggers his release clause. For the first 10 days of July, it'll drop to a relatively cheap $74.7 million (€65 million) before increasing again to a usual value past $1 billion.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona eyeing Bosman move for Liverpool, Bayern Munich target in 2026
Barcelona have added significant strength to their defensive unit by bringing in Joan Garcia from Espanyol. However, the club are actively working on further reinforcing their ranks in defence, with the board ideally working on players who can come for free. Advertisement That is perhaps why Barcelona have already started thinking about their options in 2026, when many players are expected to become free agents. Barcelona eye move for Marc Guehi According to Fichajes, one of the free agents Barcelona are targeting in 2026 is none other than Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace centre-back has become a regular for the English national team and is on Barça's radar as a long-term strategic option. Barcelona want to sign Marc Guehi for free in 2026 (Photo by) His contract situation is key; should he not renew with the Premier League club, he would be available on a free transfer in the summer of 2026, effectively making him an ideal signing for the Blaugrana. Advertisement At 24, Guehi fits the profile of a young defender with international experience and significant room for growth. From a sporting perspective, Guehi would be an ideal defensive partner for someone like Pau Cubarsi. He may even emerge as a perfect long-term replacement for Inigo Martinez. Guehi's solidity, tactical intelligence, and comfort in playing the ball out from the back have attracted attention from several of Europe's top clubs, including Liverpool, Newcastle, and Bayern Munich. Crystal Palace's high valuation for a direct Premier League rival this summer makes an immediate transfer difficult. This provides an opening for a club like Barcelona to play the long game, monitoring his situation closely with the intention of securing him on a Bosman deal.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Barcelona's 4-3 Clasico win summed up a season of all-out attack – but should they add more control?
In a period when a small handful of superclubs regularly win the league, it can be difficult to differentiate between various title-winning campaigns. But Barcelona's 2024-25 La Liga victory — albeit not yet mathematically certain — will live long in the memory. There are certain elements of this Barca season that are very specific to this particular title success. They're playing in the city's Olympic stadium rather than the Camp Nou. They're using a new generation of world-class teenagers, led by Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. The thrilling victory over Real Madrid on Sunday completed a clean sweep of four Clasico victories this season. But, above all else, this Barcelona side has a distinct way of playing, broadly in keeping with the club's traditions but also more daring, more extreme, and more end-to-end than anything in recent memory. Advertisement Sunday's 4-3 victory summed it up. Barcelona were clearly the better side on the day, but they also had several scares. They fell 2-0 behind. At 3-2 up, they thought they'd conceded a penalty, but were saved by a VAR overturn. At 4-3, they allowed Real Madrid two one-on-one chances in the dying stages, through Victor Munoz… …and Kylian Mbappe. Barcelona could have had more goals themselves, of course, with Raphinha uncharacteristically squandering some sublime crosses from Yamal. But this was typical 2024-25 Barcelona, the side that have launched extraordinary comebacks and have, when leading, taken extraordinary risks. They'd previously won matches 5-4 against Benfica, 4-3 against Celta Vigo and 3-2 against Borussia Dortmund. Maybe the most telling match was the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid, when they went 2-0 down, then came back to lead 4-2, but then collapsed late on and drew 4-4. Or maybe it was three weeks later, when they went to Atleti in the league, went 2-0 down and won 4-2. Or maybe it was their semi-final exit against Inter, when they drew 3-3 at home and then lost 4-3 away. On Sunday, Mbappe became the fourth player this season to score a hat-trick against Barcelona but finish on the losing side. Compared to two seasons ago, the last time they won the league, Barcelona have scored 25 more goals, and conceded 16 more goals. And there are still three games left this season. Of course, this is what Hansi Flick is all about. When his Bayern Munich won the Champions League in 2019-20, their defensive line was probably the most aggressive European football has seen (at least in the modern period when there are more liberal interpretations of 'interfering with play' compared to the 1970s, when catching anyone offside brought a stop to the game, even if they were nowhere near the ball). It was an 8-2 victory over Barcelona which demonstrated that approach most succinctly. Flick has replicated that approach at Barcelona with a largely inexperienced backline, and even when Wojciech Szczesny, now 35, was tempted out of retirement as an emergency goalkeeper after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was injured. Szczesny was never the most mobile, even in his peak years, and Flick admits the Pole still enjoys the odd cigarette. His rash challenge on Mbappe on Sunday hinted at his tardiness, although overall he's swept off his line effectively. It helps that Szczesny has always come across as not being too bothered if he makes a mistake, which is conducive to playing in a system where players will find themselves exposed and embarrassed from time to time. Advertisement Flick's calculation, like that of Johan Cruyff when manager in the early 1990s, is that the approach plays off overall. This graph shows that Barcelona are in a world of their own in terms of catching the opposition offside, and they and Bayern are also in a different league in terms of playing through-balls. In other words, Barcelona leave space in behind, and they exploit space in behind. That demonstrates Flick has paired that aggressive defensive line with an aggressive attack. Barcelona have always been a front-foot side, but during their most recent period of consistent dominance, under Pep Guardiola, they interpreted this as a mission to dominate possession through long, drawn-out spells on the ball. Xavi Hernandez, the poster boy for that approach, often used to turn down the opportunity to release runners on the break, in order to let Barcelona organise their structure through possession play, and impose himself on the ball in the opposition half. In contrast, this Barca side break in behind immediately. Raphinha has been a revelation, not merely playing as a flashy winger but by breaking in behind to become a consistent goalscorer, often taking advantage of Robert Lewandowski's clever movement and subtle directing of passing and runs. Ferran Torres has provided runs in behind in recent weeks, with the likes of Yamal and Dani Olmo also bursting into the box, not always to reach precise, slide-rule passes, but longer, diagonal passes from deep. Lewandowski has also played the role of target man at times, encouraging Barcelona to cross the ball: sometimes simply taking a chance and hoofing it into the box. Previous Barcelona regimes would scoff at this; there was a belief that the faster you attacked, the faster the ball would come back at you. Guardiola always wanted to avoid basketball-style games. But Flick embraces it. The only question is whether, at times, Barcelona can, or need to, offer more control. It does seem wrong, for example, that (even when accounting for them scoring 23 more), Barcelona have conceded one fewer goal this season than a desperately disorganised Real Madrid side, who have regressed towards their old obsession with star players rather than balance. On Sunday, as in most big games this season, Carlo Ancelotti's side were a shapeless mess. Advertisement Indeed, both third-placed Atletico and fourth-placed Athletic Club have conceded fewer goals than Barca. In this respect, the issue hasn't generally been the high line, which has largely worked beautifully. But there are periods when Barcelona could afford to be more cautious in possession, more reserved in terms of moving the ball forward quickly. When leading Inter in the dying stages of that thrilling semi-final second leg, Barcelona tried to extend their lead and ended up losing it. Some might suggest that killing the game isn't what Barcelona are all about. That's true of this season, but not of past sides. Things might change next year. This season, we've rarely seen Gavi in the side. To be frank, when he's played Barca have been less exciting: in the 12 games Gavi has started, Barcelona have scored only once in seven of them. In another, against Sevilla, they scored once before half-time, then three after the break when Gavi was replaced by Fermin Lopez, who pushed on more. It feels strange to cite fewer goals scored as a positive. But at times, maybe that's what Barcelona need. Granted, they very nearly defeated Inter playing in this all-out-attack manner. But really, they shouldn't have lost it: Inter weren't close to their best, and Barcelona still allowed too many transitions. If you concede seven goals in a two-legged semi-final, you're unlikely to progress. More tactical intelligence should come with experience; Barcelona's starting XI this season has been the joint-youngest in La Liga, alongside Valencia. More cautious possession might prove useful in the must-not-lose nature of European knockout matches, but the attack-minded approach this season has clearly suited the win-as-much-as-you-can nature of a league campaign. And they've done it in style — a style which has been more attack-minded than anyone else in Europe, and more attack-minded than even the most legendary Barcelona sides of the past. (Header photo:)
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WATCH: Kylian Mbappe completes El Clasico hat-trick as Real Madrid bring it back to 4-3
Barcelona had looked comfortably on their way to another El Clasico victory, but Real Madrid have thrown a spanner in the works by making it 4-3 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Errors from Pau Cubarsi and Wojciech Szczesny lead to the latter fouling Kylian Mbappe inside the penalty area, and the Real Madrid man stepped up to score from 12 yards. The Barcelona goalkeeper dived the right way, but the ball was just out of his reach. And Mbappe added his second inside the opening 14 minutes. He was played in behind, and with only Szczesny to beat, he made no mistake. Advertisement It was the worst possible start for Barcelona, but they do now have a goal back. And it has come from Eric Garcia, who has headed home from close range following a Ferran Torres flick-on from a corner. And on 32 minutes, Lamine Yamal curled home to make it 2-2. Two minutes after, Raphinha completed the comeback to make it 3-2 following a Real Madrid error, and the Brazilian has added his second of the afternoon just before half time after pouncing on a Lucas Vazquez mistake.
