The captain's armband reveals the hidden: the secret behind Flick's anger that ousted a Barcelona star

What's the story?

Spanish media have revealed fresh details behind Hansi Flick's decision to deny Frenkie de Jong the role of first-choice captain at Barcelona. The German coach is unhappy with the way the Dutch midfielder handled his injury, even though he still relies on him as one of the team's key players.

Cadena Ser, the Spanish radio station, reports that Flick chose Brazil's Raphinha as first captain, with Pedri second. Barcelona's players then picked Eric Garcia, De Jong and Lamine Yamal to complete the group of captains.

It's a new method inside the club's dressing room. Previously the players chose their captains by consensus.

Flick's decision on Raphinha and Pedri ties into his vision of a captain's personality on the pitch. He sees the Brazilian winger as an extension of himself, a captain able to influence the team both technically and morally, while Pedri also enjoys the coach's trust. That is what kept De Jong away from the first-choice armband despite his seniority within the squad.

Another reason deepened Flick's reservations towards the Dutchman: the way he handled the injury he picked up during the World Cup.

Barcelona announced in July that De Jong had suffered a tear in the medial collateral ligament of his right knee. They opted for a conservative treatment plan with medical monitoring rather than surgery.

By Cadena Ser's account, Flick's objection had nothing to do with De Jong's refusal to go under the knife. Instead it centred on how the player dealt with the injury and his return to Barcelona. The coach wanted someone more ready and prepared to feature in the majority of matches.

None of this means Flick has written De Jong off. The German still rates him as an important player within his system. He simply looks keener to hand the captaincy to players he sees as capable of exerting a constant influence on the pitch, which is why he favoured Raphinha and Pedri.