Barca are missing Inigo Martinez.

Coach Hansi Flick has suggested that the club's management recruit a central defender with a similar style to Inigo Martinez to address the weaknesses in Barcelona's playing style.

Without Inigo Martinez, Barcelona's defense is vulnerable.

According to El Pais , coach Flick believes Barca made a mistake letting Martinez leave this summer. The Spanish newspaper stated: "Martinez is a key player. Last season, he was the best defender in terms of building play from his own half. He's not the fastest, but he's excellent in defense and initiating attacks from the back. The absence of Inigo has had a huge impact on Barca's defense."

Barcelona started the 2025/26 season with clear defensive weaknesses, as Martinez's absence left a huge void for Hansi Flick to fill.

Statistics show that Barcelona have conceded 22 goals in just 16 official matches, including 7 goals in only 4 Champions League games this season. Recently, coach Flick and the Barcelona coaching staff have been dedicating most training sessions to thoroughly address their defensive problems.

However, if things don't improve in the near future, manager Flick wants to look for more players in the January 2026 transfer window.

Flick was completely unprepared for the prospect of losing Inigo Martinez.

Coach Flick believes that if Barca want to win the title this season, they must find a worthy replacement for Martinez. In the 2024/25 season, Martinez was a quiet pillar in coach Hansi Flick's defensive system.

With his ability to read the game, accurate passing, and composure under pressure, he became the playmaker from the back, a key element of coach Flick's philosophy. Without Martinez, Barca's defense became disorganized. A prime example was last month's El Clasico, when Real Madrid employed high-pressure pressing, and Barcelona's defense repeatedly made errors in their build-up play.

Short passes from the goalkeeper to the center-backs were intercepted, leading to dangerous turnovers and the second goal conceded. If Inigo had been there, who had completed 92% of his passes and won 68% of his duels last season, the scenario might have been different.

Essentially, Flick seems to have recognized the defensive shortcomings of Barca this season, and whether he can fill the void left by Martinez will significantly impact the Catalan club's title aspirations this season.

Source: https://znews.vn/barca-dang-nho-inigo-martinez-post1598899.html