The Blaugrana head into the cup tie on the back of a ten-game winning streak and having won their first trophy of the season - beating Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final. No room for complacency Now, according to SPORT, as defending champions of the Copa del Rey, the message from manager Hansi Flick has been clear: Saudi Arabia is already in the past, the team must stay fully focused,
One of the most heartwarming moments during the celebrations came when senior midfielder Frenkie de Jong called young prospect Tommy Marques to click a picture together with the trophy. It was a nice touch from De Jong, given that the La Masia gem had gone on record a few months ago naming the Dutchman as one of his idols. Flick trusts the 'other Frenkie' Meanwhile, in the background, Pau Cubarsi, who was watching from close by, joked: "Two Frenkies, two Frenkies!"
As relayed by SPORT in a recent report, Rodriguez is determined to succeed at Barcelona at any cost and is pushing away any offer to leave the club to prove his worth to Hansi Flick. The youngster currently plays for Barça Atletic in the fourth division of Spanish football, and his quality has seen him attract interest and offers from several teams in higher divisions.
It is no secret that Hansi Flick is deeply involved in Barcelona's day-to-day affairs, even when it comes to monitoring the club's youth players. A shrewd operator, Flick often likes to monitor key matches for Barcelona's reserve team, as he considers La Masia to be a great source of talent for the first team. Flick's commitment to FC Barcelona's youth development knows no rest days either.
From the start of last season until December 2024, he played 1,727 minutes out of a possible 2,250, meaning he was involved in 76% of the minutes the team had played in the first half of the previous season. This season, Casado barely reaches 36.3%, having played only 768 minutes out of a total of 2,160. That 40% drop in involvement offers a clear snapshot of Casado's current situation. He knows that he is among Hansi Flick's last options.
After being branded as a flop for the longest time during his spell at Barcelona, Ferran Torres finally appears to have woken up. Under the leadership of Hansi Flick, the Spaniard has gone from being a backup striker at Barcelona to someone who is taking Robert Lewandowski head-on. Ferran's success has been backed up by data as well, as the forward has registered brilliant numbers in 2025, his first full year under Flick.