Brian Fariñas awaits his chance at Barça: Flick's bet yet to debut | OneFootball

Barcelona took advantage of the international break to give its squad a few days off, but Hansi Flick continues to work with a reduced group of players at the Ciutat Esportiva. Among them is Brian Fariñas, one of the youngsters who impressed the German coach the most during preseason and who, however, is still waiting for his chance in an official match.

The 20-year-old midfielder is, along with Frenkie de Jong due to his injury, the only player among those who have trained with Flick in recent days who has not yet played a single minute this season.

From shining in preseason to being left without minutes

Fariñas was one of Flick’s biggest bets during the summer. A La Masia product since 2018 and coming off an outstanding 2025-26 season with Barça Atlètic, the Benicarló-born player played a key role during the first team’s preparation.

He made his debut in the friendly against Birmingham City and later took part in the triangular tournament in Udine against Nottingham Forest and Udinese. He also got minutes in the Joan Gamper Trophy against Al-Ahly.

In total, he racked up 198 minutes in five warm-up matches, enough of a performance to earn a first-team spot.

Flick had already warned about his potential

The German coach was especially clear when speaking about Fariñas during preseason. Flick said the young midfielder had “surprised him enormously” and described him as an “excellent” player and “very talented.”

He also highlighted his fitness, commitment, and ability to play in different midfield positions.

“He deserves to play some minutes.”

The problem, however, is the competition. Barcelona have numerous alternatives in central midfield, and Flick acknowledged that finding space for him will not be easy.

Four call-ups and no minutes

Fariñas was included in the squad for the first four official matches of the season: Elche, Athletic Club, Rayo Vallecano, and Feyenoord in the Champions League.

In all of them, he remained on the bench.

Later, against Valencia, Levante, and Racing, he was left out of the final squad due to the limit on the number of players who can be included in the matchday list. He was also not called up against Sevilla.

His situation, therefore, is not due to a loss of Flick’s trust, but rather to especially fierce competition in a squad aiming to fight for every title.

Barça blocked his move to Girona

There were also developments surrounding his future during the summer. Barcelona blocked his move to Girona for 1.5 million euros, and Fariñas accepted the new situation naturally, aware that he would have few immediate opportunities.

The club is also studying the possibility of extending his contract, a sign that he remains part of their long-term plans.

Meanwhile, the midfielder continues to wait.

The international break allowed him to keep working directly under Flick’s orders and maintain his rhythm with the first team. Now, with Barcelona due back to prepare for the October 10 match against Getafe, Fariñas will have a new opportunity to convince the coach and look for those minutes that Flick has already acknowledged he deserves.

After being one of the surprises of preseason, the next step for the young La Masia graduate is to finally turn that trust into an official-match opportunity.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.