Hansi Flick signals major shift as Barcelona captain loses untouchable status

A noticeable shift is taking place in Barcelona’s midfield hierarchy, and Frenkie de Jong is no longer immune to competition under Hansi Flick.
According to a recent update from AS, the Dutchman has lost the privileged status he once enjoyed in the German coach’s starting XI, largely due to the impressive emergence of Eric Garcia in a more influential role.
Only a short while ago, Barcelona’s midfield structure appeared settled and beyond debate.
De Jong and Pedri formed an almost automatic pairing in the pivot, trusted to dictate the tempo and control games regardless of the opponent. That stability has now begun to erode.
While Pedri continues to be viewed as a cornerstone of Flick’s project, the same level of certainty no longer surrounds De Jong.
What happened to De Jong?
The change has not happened overnight, but recent matches suggest Flick is no longer fully convinced by the Dutchman’s performances.
It is noticeable that De Jong’s influence has waned, and the Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt offered another telling example.
He started the match on the bench and did not step onto the pitch until the 66th minute.
Crucially, this was not an isolated case. De Jong has struggled to rack up meaningful minutes in recent weeks.
In fact, across the last two matches, he has failed to complete even half an hour of football.
In La Liga, his absence has been just as striking, having missed three of the last four league games.
A noticeable shift
Some of those absences can be explained by external factors. De Jong was a late withdrawal from the squad against Atletico Madrid due to a fever.
He was unavailable for the trip to Alaves because of a family matter, and suspension ruled him out of the Athletic Club fixture on the emotionally charged night of Barcelona’s return to the Camp Nou.
Even so, the broader pattern remains difficult to ignore.
What makes the situation more surprising is how sharply things have turned. Before missing the match against Athletic Club, De Jong was playing almost every available minute and appeared central to Flick’s plans.
Since Eric Garcia’s sudden and convincing rise, however, the landscape has changed to a great extent.