Barcelona left‑back Alejandro Balde has experienced five dramatic twists in just three days. Following João Cancelo’s arrival and public remarks from Hansi Flick claiming that Balde was “not focused on the team”, the future of this academy‑graduate full‑back at Barcelona has become highly uncertain.
Here is the full story: So far, this ongoing saga has unfolded across five chapters.
Chapter 1: On Thursday, agent Jorge Mendes arrived at Barcelona for the presentation ceremony of new left‑side signing João Cancelo. Afterwards, he met with sporting director Deco to discuss the futures of Marc Casadó, Guille and Alejandro Balde.
Chapter 2: At the Saturday press conference, to everyone’s surprise, Hansi Flick opened the door for Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde to depart, stating he had held clear conversations with them. “We will have to wait until the transfer window closes.”
Chapter 3: On Sunday morning, Alejandro Balde was left out of the match‑day squad against Elche. The left‑backs named in the squad were João Cancelo and Jordi Pesquer. Xavi Espart ultimately started in that position and delivered an impressive high‑rating performance.
Chapter 4: Before kick‑off, speaking to Movistar’s microphones, Hansi Flick spoke bluntly: “I spoke with Alejandro Balde this morning. I told him I did not think he was at 100 percent, and that he should clear his mind, and then we will talk again.” For the two years of his tenure, Hansi Flick had consistently refused to disclose private player conversations to the public, yet on this occasion he suddenly made their discussion public, undermining and disparaging the player.
Chapter 5: After Barcelona’s dominant 5‑0 win over Elche, Hansi Flick returned to the subject, only slightly adjusting his wording: “I am not asking him to leave Barcelona. I spoke with him this morning and told him I get the feeling he is not fully focused. I merely told him to sort out his thoughts, and we will talk again tomorrow. He told me he agreed.”
Step by step, Hansi Flick has eroded Alejandro Balde’s standing within the club. Not to help him rediscover his form, nor to spur his self‑respect, but to push him towards an exit and secure a substantial transfer fee. Alejandro Balde never anticipated this kind of public treatment from his head coach. Many of his teammates were equally shocked, yet none spoke out in his defence. This is often the reality when the head coach personally appoints the team captains.
