Hansi Flick picks Raphinha as new Barcelona captain, reveals reasons to drop Frenkie de Jong from selection

Barcelona has been one of the clubs that saw the most movement during the 2026 summer transfer window, not only with the new signings, but also with numerous departures. With a new squad being rebuilt, head coach Hansi Flick has picked Raphinha as the new team’s main captain while also revealing the reasons to drop Frenkie de Jong from the selection.

Out of the players that spent the most years in the club, in the list of departures included Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo, who left Barcelona on loan to Ajax and Liverpool respectively. With also veteran Robert Lewandowski departing as a free agent to the MLS, Flick was forced to look solutions and players with character to hold the captain bracelet and lead the team.

While in the first preseason friendlies against Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, and Udinese, Andreas Christensen held the captain bracelet, the Swiss center back is far from being the first pick in the defense. In the last preparation game against FC Basel, with numerous stars returning to the first team, while Christensen started, it was Raphinha who held the bracelet from the start.

On talks with the club social media, Hansi Flick was asked about the process of choosing a new captain and if Raphinha will be the main user of the bracelet on the field: “Yes, Rafa will do it. Because normally Frenkie is the third, because Marc (Ter Stegen) and Ronald (Araujo) are out. But Frenkie he is not available at the moment, and I decided for the captains till we vote.“

The German boss also left the door open to potential changes with the transfer market still open, while also unveiling the other two alternative captains of the team. “Because our team is not finished yet, maybe we will have some more players, or have players leaving. And when it’s done, we will make the vote. And till this happens, Rafa is the captain, with Eric (Garcia) and Pedri,” Flick added.

Raphinha claims the armband over two Barcelona products

Eric Garcia emerged from La Masia before joining Manchester City’s U-18 team back in 2017, while Pedri joined Barcelona from Las Palmas back in 2019 when he was just 16 years old. Despite their Spanish lineage, and also his early links with the institution, it was Raphinha who was picked as the main captain for Hansi Flick.

Arriving to Barcelona from Leeds United in 2022, Raphinha emerged as one of the best forwards in the world, and now at his 29 years old, he managed to claim the bracelet once used by Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi in recent times. However, his personality as a captain was already seen last season with Raphinha comforting a dejected Hansi Flick following a 3-1 win over Deportivo Alaves, where the German was unconvinced by the performance.

In that game back in November, Raphinha was the captain, and since then, in the 2025-26 season, the Brazilian captained 9 different games across all competitions. In comparison, Pedri’s case, the 23-year-old wore the bracelet in 9 games too, while Eric Garcia debuted as a captain back in March 2026 in a 1-0 away win against Athletic Bilbao.

Flick addresses Frenkie de Jong’s case

After the 2026 World Cup, news erupted revealing that Frenkie de Jong suffered a tear in his inner lateral ligament of his right knee, and injury that’d sideline him for quite some time. In a recent interview he also clarified some rumors over a “stiff relationship” with coach Hansi Flick and his desire to leave Barcelona, to what the German boss backed him up.

When asked about De Jong’s situation and his role as a captain, Hansi Flick was clear: “Frenkie is injured, so I decided that. The relationship with Frenkie and me is very good. Frenkie is matured, and he is also a very professional player. Our relationship is top. I always speak with him also about things what happens around the team also about the next game. We speak a lot. For me, he is an important player, but because he also have a huge quality he can give to us.“