Barca miss Inigo Martinez

Without Inigo Martinez, Barca's defense is fragile.

According to El Pais , coach Flick believes Barca made a mistake in letting Martinez leave this summer. The Spanish newspaper commented: "Martinez is a key player. Last season, he was the best defender in developing the ball from the back. He is not the fastest, but he is excellent in defending and initiating attacks from the back. The absence of Inigo has a big impact on Barca's defense."

Barcelona started the 2025/26 season with obvious defensive gaps, with Martinez's absence leaving a huge gap for Hansi Flick to fill.

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

However, if things cannot improve in the near future, coach Flick wants to look for more personnel in the January 2026 transfer window.

Flick was not prepared for the prospect of losing Inigo Martinez.

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

With his ability to read situations, pass the ball accurately and stay calm under pressure, he has become a leader from the back, something Flick has prioritised as a core part of his philosophy. Without Martinez, Barca's defence has been left in disarray. A typical example was in El Clasico last month, when Real Madrid applied a high press, Barcelona's defence repeatedly made errors in the build-up.

The short passes from goalkeeper to centre-back were cut off, leading to dangerous possession loss and the second goal. Had Inigo, who completed 92% of his passes and won 68% of his duels last season, the scenario could have been different.

Essentially, Flick seems to have realized the mistakes in Barca's defense this season, and whether he can fill the void left by Martinez will significantly affect the Catalan club's title dreams this season.

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