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FC Barcelona Open Training Session in Spotify Camp NouGetty Images Sport
Aryan Suraj Chadha

Barcelona 'know perfectly well' where weaknesses lie as sporting director Deco dismisses 'irrelevant' concerns over Hansi Flick's style in wake of Club Brugge slip

H. Flick
Barcelona
Champions League
LaLiga

Barcelona director Deco has labelled discussion of coach Hansi Flick's style "irrelevant" after a chaotic 3-3 Champions League draw with Club Brugge. Despite defensive frailties, Deco insists the club "know perfectly well" where to improve and will rely on nothing other than hard work, drawing parallels to overcoming difficulties last season.

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  • Barcelona's defensive frailties exposed in chaotic Brugge draw

    Flick's side twice came from behind before they ultimately needed a 77th-minute own goal from Christos Tzolis to salvage a point in Belgium. The result has intensified scrutiny on Flick's high-risk, possession-based system, which has produced 12 goals but also conceded seven in four Champions League matches.

    The match at the Jan Breydel Stadium perfectly encapsulated Barcelona's current struggles. The Catalans dominated the ball, enjoying 77% possession and registering 23 shots, but were repeatedly carved open on the counter-attack.

    Club Brugge, in contrast, were ruthlessly efficient, scoring three times from just 11 total shots, with six of those hitting the target.

    Barcelona found themselves trailing after just six minutes to a Nicolo Tresoldi goal before Ferran Torres equalised. Carlos Forbs put the hosts back in front, and after Lamine Yamal's 61st-minute leveller, Forbs struck again just two minutes later to make it 3-2.

    Despite Flick previously stating he would not compromise on his aggressive style, the recurring defensive lapses have raised questions about the squad's suitability for the system.

  • Lamine YamalGetty

    Deco insists 'style discussion is irrelevant'

    Speaking to the club's media during an open training session at the Camp Nou, Deco was clear that the club's hierarchy is not panicking and is aware of the problems.

    When questioned about Flick's style and the team's defensive vulnerabilities, the sporting director shut down the debate.

    "The issue of discussing style is irrelevant," Deco said. "We already know perfectly well where we can improve and the difficulties we face.

    "Last season we also went through some difficult times and we were able to overcome them. By getting players back and regaining our form, staying united, and working hard... That's what we have to do.

    "We did it last season and we're going to do the same this season. Nothing can change things except hard work and dedication."

  • La Masia's new generation yet to play at 'spectacular' Camp Nou

    Deco's comments were made as the squad trained at the still-under-renovation Camp Nou, a move designed to familiarise the team's new faces with their future home.

    The director noted the "spectacular" progress of the stadium and the squad's anticipation of a return from their temporary home at Montjuic.

    "All of us at the club who are still in Montjuic miss being here," Deco said. "It feels like it was a magnificent stadium before, and now it's even more so. There are memories, of course, but the most important thing is that we can return as soon as possible. It's different playing here; the players have the same feeling."

    He also highlighted a remarkable statistic: that eight members of the current squad, many of them homegrown, have never played an official match at Camp Nou due to the two-and-a-half-year renovation.

    "This is a sign that things have been done well, that there are homegrown players, from La Masia, and this is important and a good sign because in the last two and a half years that we've been away, we've been able to bring through important players from La Masia," he said. "That's what Barca is about; the president was looking for this project."

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  • Club Brugge KV v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4Getty Images Sport

    What next? Barcelona's precarious Champions League position

    The 3-3 draw in Belgium leaves Barcelona in 11th place in the new Champions League league-phase standings. With a record of two wins, one draw, and one loss, they remain in a solid position to qualify for the play-off round (spots 9-16).

    However, the result puts significant pressure on their final four league phase matches if they hope to secure a top-eight finish, which guarantees direct entry into the last 16.

    Flick and Deco will be acutely aware that conceding seven goals in four European matches is not a sustainable rate for a team with ambitions of challenging for the trophy. The immediate priority will be to find a defensive balance in La Liga before their next European test, without sacrificing the attacking principles Flick is determined to maintain.

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LaLiga

31 Oct 2026

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