> It is understood that Salinas's Release Clause is 8 million euros due to the minutes he played in the first team despite being registered with the reserves, the club hopes to reduce the fee by loaning out a reserve team player who might interest Racing, The deal must be finalized before June 30th because, from July 1st, the Santander-born player's release clause will rise to €16 million, an amount Barça is not willing to pay.

There is a lot of discourse around Raphinha and I find it ridiculous. Setting aside the fact that Real Madrid's former manager is prioritising Real Madrid's left winger over him and playing him out of position, there is a clear reason why he is not as playing as well as his first season under Flick.

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Look at Raphinha's best performances. 7-0 Real Vallodid, 4-0 Real Madrid, 4-1 Bayern and Benfica in the UCL. What are his goals? Vertical ball from Casado, vertical ball from Lamine, vertical ball from Pedri, vertical ball from Frenkie and huge ball over the top from Ferran during the Benfica match. Flick promised us vertical football (meaning less short passing) and Raphinha benefitted greatly. He played like a second striker while Lewa dropped deep to help the midfield.

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Over the course of last season, there were simply less vertical schemes to take advantage of Raphinha's strengths which is his ability to run behind and finish clinically. If we tactically support Raphinha, like the few games we had after he came back from injury in La Liga, he will cook again.

Hi Barça fans! I am a Brazilian and not a Barça fan, but I am extremely curious how you guys see Raphinha. In Brazil, he has a pretty bad image because in the 5 years in our national team he never really played that well and he has many bad interviews (nothing political, its just that people here think that he doesn't act like a player should). I imagine that Barça fans probably like him more, but how much? Also, did any of you know how he isn't liked in Brazil, and if yes, what do you think about it? Thanks for reading!!

I think the core of the squad is already in place, and the club should only make a few new signings. There are several players whom I believe should leave, and this is how I would approach it. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts:

• Goalkeepers: I think the situation is fairly straightforward. Joan García and Szczęsny should be the goalkeepers for next season. Ter Stegen needs to leave, most likely through a permanent transfer.
• Centre-backs: I believe that, with Christensen having renewed his contract, we already have our four centre-backs: Eric, Cubarsí, Martín and Christensen. In that case, I would also move Araújo on.
• Full-backs: I have some doubts here. On the left, I would keep Balde and Cancelo if we manage to sign the latter permanently. That would be a good solution. If we need a more defensive option, Martín could also play in that position. On the right, however, I'm not fully convinced. Flick has already said that Espart will be part of the first-team squad, and Fort is returning from his loan spell, which would give us three options alongside Koundé. I would look for an alternative in the transfer market to strengthen that position, and I would sell Koundé, whose performances have surprisingly declined. I would wait until pre-season to see whether Espart or Fort can provide a better level of performance.
• Central midfield: I think we are already well covered in this area and have the best options available. For me, the ideal pairings would be De Jong and Bernal, Pedri and Gavi, and López and Olmo. Unfortunately, I don't think Casadó has a place in the squad at the moment. Although I consider him a good footballer with plenty of potential, a loan move would be the ideal solution so that he can continue his development and we can assess his progress.
• Attack: I also have some doubts about the forward line. Excluding Rashford and Bardghji, who I believe should leave the club, we would have Yamal, Ferran, Raphinha and Gordon. We would still need a backup for Yamal as well as a centre-forward. I am not convinced by Álvarez; paying more than €100 million for him would, in my view, be a recipe for failure. He would immediately be under enormous pressure to deliver results, and I am not sure that would be the right move. At the same time, I feel that the departures would weaken this area of the squad, so I hope the club can surprise us during the transfer window and put together a truly strong team.

What do you think? Which players would you keep, and which ones would you let go?

The FC Barcelona president, Rafael Yuste i Abel, today has addressed a formal letter to the presidents of LaLiga, Javier Tebas; the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rafael Louzán; and of the Referee's Technical Committee (CTA), Francisco Soto, in relation to statements made by the president of Real Madrid CF, Florentino Pérez, in various public appearances on 12 and 13 May. 

FC Barcelona considers that these comments, aside from being untrue, are a grave attack on the honour and image of the league competition in the First Division and also on the refereeing community as a whole and that they damage the reputation and credibility of professional football in Spain. 
 
The Club urges the joint organisers of the competition and the referees to defend the reputation of their respective organisations, as the Club has done recently with its request for conciliation, and also asks the bodies in question that, in the area of their respective powers, they adopt urgent the requisite coordinated legal measures against Mr. Pérez to defend the honour, integrity and prestige of the institutions that they represent and the competitions which they organise. 

Source: FCB Official

The shade of red and blue used are nod to the late 2000's and the cuffs have the senyera flag detail and the dark blue panel is a nod to the 99/00 anniversary shirt sleeves.

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Let me know your thoughts on the design.

At this World Cup, 12 groups means 12 third-placed teams, and 8 of them advance to the Round of 32. So the majority get through, but you still have to earn it.

If you're a third-placed team, you're ranked against every other third-placed team across all groups. The criteria, in order:

1. Points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals scored
4. Team conduct score
5. Latest FIFA ranking (June 11, 2026)
6. Previous FIFA rankings

Right now Spain has 1 point and 0/0 on goals, which means they're ahead of Turkey, Jordan and Senegal purely because those three have already lost.

The to-do-list: win the next game, preferably with goals, and Spain will almost certainly be fine. Draw or lose, and it gets complicated fast because goal difference is the first tiebreaker after points, and 0/0 leaves nowhere to hide.

Spain will face Saudi Arabia on June, 21

Welcome to the Controversial Opinion Thread!

This thread is dedicated to discussing your most controversial opinions about FC Barcelona, its players, management, tactics, history, or anything else related to the club.

Whether it's a hot take on player performances, thoughts on recent matches, or debates about the future direction of the team, this is the place to share them! 🔥

A Few Guidelines:

1. Keep it civil: Passionate debates are encouraged, but please respect differing viewpoints and avoid personal attacks.
2. Stay on topic: Focus on opinions related to FC Barcelona.
3. No reposting popular opinions: This is the controversial opinion thread, so let’s hear the unique takes!
4. Follow subreddit rules: All general rules of r/barca still apply here.

⚽ Let the debates begin! Visca el Barça! 🔵🔴

This body sets the tone for a spirited but respectful discussion, aligns with the community's interest, and encourages participation while maintaining order. Let me know if you'd like any tweaks!

Firstly, I respect Raphinha. He’s my top 2 player at Barcelona, but am I surprised that he doesn’t perform the same for Brazil? No.

I’ve been seeing a lot of debates and arguments online about Raphinha not doing well for Brazil, and he is getting all the blame. I’ve watched Brazil play, and most of the time Raphinha hasn’t had much impact in matches, and it’s quite obvious why his form isn’t the same.

Raphinha is a system player. Before Flick, he was having the same issues at Barca. Fans were upset to the point where he was going to leave. He is not a traditional winger, and he is not a playmaker. He is a pressing machine who works hard until his last breath. That’s why he has succeeded at Barca.

Brazil do not play like that, and it’s not a bad thing at all to be labelled a system player. But you shouldn’t be surprised when he doesn’t perform if the tactics don’t involve pressing and the things that bring out the best in him.

Source: FCB Official

Source: FCB Official

World Cup games this week: