There's no turning back, Hansi Flick makes it official: Barça's first 3 cuts

Barça have been working for over a week under Hansi Flick's leadership, with intense and physical sessions to ensure optimal preparation. After a season like the last one, full of domestic successes but with the Champions League as a blemish, Flick doesn't want to fall into complacency. From day one, he has made it clear that he needs a competitive and motivated squad.

The German coach has applied demand and rigor from the start: he wants to have a small working group. As many as 36 players have taken part in these first sessions, something unsustainable for the preseason in Asia. Hansi Flick needs to define a 26-man squad while the team prepares to travel to Japan on Thursday.

Hansi Flick announces the first cuts

As part of his cleanup and structuring plan, Hansi Flick has made the first cuts this very week. These are three academy players who won't travel with the first team and will return to the reserve team led by Juliano Belletti. Their names are Jan Virgili, Landry Farré, and Juan Hernández.

These three players completed the medical tests and trained with the first team, but ultimately haven't convinced enough. Hansi Flick has decided that their place is at Barça Atlètic, where they will continue their preparation. This way, the academy players are already completing sessions under Belletti's orders.

Only four academy players remain with Hansi Flick

Meanwhile, Hansi Flick keeps four youngsters in his working group: Guille Fernández, Toni Fernández, Jofre Torrents, and Pedro Fernández. They are part of the small and ambitious group that will travel to Asia. Roony Bardghji, signed by Deco, who is also impressing in training, will join them.

The presence of these players shows that Hansi Flick values both talent and physical performance. Each one has shown in the sessions characteristics that can fit into his playing system. All five will travel to Japan with the team.

Hansi Flick still has work to do

Reducing the squad from 36 to 26 players is an essential step for the Asian tour and the season's planning. Hansi Flick prioritizes keeping a demanding and serious group. The players who were cut, although valued, haven't met the expectations to travel to Asia.

Some of the academy players who have returned to the reserve team could rejoin once the official competition begins, if circumstances change. For now, this first adjustment reinforces Hansi Flick's idea of having a coherent structure. Choosing discipline and commitment already sets clear lines in sports planning.