How Barcelona players' discomfort prompted Flick to make key locker room change - report | Barca Universal

"For Flick, matchday is sacred. There are several scheduled moments - activation sessions, tactical talks - and arriving even a few seconds late is seen as a lack of respect toward teammates. And, until October 2025, lateness was punished on the pitch. The consequence was simple: if you were late, you did not start."

"But, as per the report, players began to feel uncomfortable with this form of punishment from the manager. When a regular starter suddenly appeared on the bench, the reason quickly became public. It drew attention and created tension, especially when players felt performance should be the deciding factor, not punctuality alone."

"Now, late arrivals are punished with financial fines, as was revealed by Pedri and Ferran Torres during an interview earlier this week - with penalties rising as high as €40,000."

Hansi Flick implemented strict discipline at Barcelona, initially punishing late arrivals by dropping players from starting lineups. Players like Jules Kounde, Inaki Pena, Raphinha, and Marcus Rashford experienced this consequence. However, by October 2025, the policy changed due to player concerns that public benching created unnecessary tension and overshadowed performance-based selection. Team captains and sporting director Deco engaged in discussions with Flick about adjusting the approach. The new system replaces pitch-based punishment with financial penalties, reaching €40,000 for repeat offenders, as confirmed by Pedri and Ferran Torres.

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