Frenkie de Jong has dropped one place in Barcelona’s captaincy hierarchy. The Netherlands international was still third captain last season, but in the new campaign he will have to make do with fourth place. The squad themselves determined an important part of the ranking.
With Marc ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo gone, Barcelona had to reshape their captaincy structure for the 2026/27 season. De Jong seemed set to move up because of their departures, but that did not happen.
Instead, coach Hansi Flick has made Raphinha first captain, with Pedri as his regular deputy. Last season, Ter Stegen and Araujo started as Barça’s first captains.
For the other three places, the German did not want to take full control himself. “I did not want to decide on the other three, only on these two, because they are very important,” Flick explained during his press conference. The squad were then given the chance to appoint the remaining captains themselves.
That vote saw Eric García emerge as third captain, meaning De Jong has to give up one place compared with last season. Lamine Yamal completes the group as fifth captain and, at the age of 19, already has an official leadership role within the squad.
García’s appointment is seen as further proof of the trust he has built under Flick. The defender commands plenty of respect within the group because of his professionalism, discipline and commitment to the team.
“In the end, the team chose these players and for me it is a good group, with leadership. I need all the players and their commitment to the team,” Flick said.
Barcelona face Valencia on Sunday, but will still have to do without the injured De Jong. Flick’s side could take advantage of dropped points from rivals Real Madrid, who were beaten by Real Betis on Friday night.