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Few decisions from the Barcelona dressing room vote raised eyebrows quite like the choice of Lamine Yamal as one of the club's five captains. The number 10 is just 19, yet he now joins Raphinha, Pedri, Eric García and Frenkie de Jong in representing the team.
Hansi Flick shed light on the process on Saturday. As he did last season, the coach handpicked two captains himself and left the players to elect the other three.
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Speaking during a press conference, the Barcelona coach said: "I have been here for two years, and I know the team better. I decided on two captains, Raphinha and Pedri, and the players voted for three: Eric, Frenkie and Lamine."
It's the same formula Flick used last season. The names have shifted, though, with the exits of Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araújo forcing a reshaping of the captaincy group.
"A big influence"
Flick defended his choice of Raphinha and Pedri in particular, arguing that both wield real influence in the dressing room and on the pitch.
"When I looked at the players who have a big influence in the team, for me they are Raphinha and Pedri," he said. "I did not want to choose the five, only two because they are very important, and they are used to playing as starters. Now I know the team better than I knew it before."
Yamal's name stood out most among those picked by the squad. His inclusion marks another step in the rising standing of the academy graduate, a nod not only to his importance on the pitch but to the regard his teammates hold him in.
On that point, the German said: "The choice of the five is good. I am happy with the players' decision. We will need players who can speak and who must take responsibility. I think it is a good choice."
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