Barcelona Earthquake: Flick Excludes Three Players on the Eve of Crucial Clash with Real Sociedad
Barcelona, September 28, 2025 – Just hours before FC Barcelona face Real Sociedad in a decisive LaLiga fixture at the Reale Arena, the club has been rocked by a bombshell decision from head coach Hansi Flick. The German tactician, renowned for his strict discipline, has excluded three first-team players for what he called “serious disciplinary violations” during Thursday’s training session.
“I cannot forgive them… they have crossed a line that cannot be ignored in a team that aspires to everything,” Flick declared at an unscheduled press conference, his tone leaving no room for ambiguity.
Sources close to the team revealed that the incident unfolded at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, where tensions escalated into heated arguments, physical pushing, and even a verbal altercation with members of the coaching staff. Eyewitnesses described the episode as a collective act of indiscipline, one that Flick immediately deemed unacceptable. After consulting with the club’s board, he imposed the maximum sporting sanction: exclusion from the squad for Sunday’s crucial match.
This is not the first clash between Flick and his players. Since arriving in summer 2024, the coach has been unyielding. Iñaki Peña was offloaded to Elche for lateness. Jules Koundé was benched multiple times for repeated delays. Raphinha was left out against Valencia earlier this month after a pre-match warm-up dispute. Flick’s stance is consistent: no fines, only sporting consequences. “Discipline is the foundation of success. In Munich we won the Champions League because everyone rowed in the same direction. Here it must be the same,” he has often said.
The timing, however, could not be worse. Barça already face potential absences for Pedri and Gavi through injury, and now Flick must reconfigure his midfield and defense against a Real Sociedad side that has been a thorn in their side in recent seasons. Insiders suggest the excluded players include both senior figures and young academy talents, but the club has withheld names to avoid further scandal.
Sporting director Deco is said to back Flick “100 percent,” though some within the board acknowledge the move could affect January transfer strategies if tensions escalate. The message from the club, however, is crystal clear: “Nobody is bigger than the team.”
Among the fanbase, opinion is split. Some celebrate Flick’s firm hand—“Finally, a coach with authority,” one supporter posted on X—while others worry the hardline stance could fracture a squad already struggling with consistency. Barcelona currently sit third in LaLiga with 15 points from six games, trailing Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, and cannot afford a slip in San Sebastián.
The excluded players will now train separately under a fitness coach, tasked with reflecting on their behavior. Flick, meanwhile, has promised “a total reset session” for the rest of the squad as they prepare for Sunday’s showdown.
“Forgiveness is won on the field,” the German concluded, leaving a slim possibility of redemption. But with Barça’s season hanging in the balance, the question remains: has Flick’s iron fist sparked unity—or ignited a storm that could tear the dressing room apart?
