Last Thursday, while the rest of the squad carried out a very important preparatory session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper – the last one before traveling to Madrid to play the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Atlético de Madrid this Thursday, February 12, 2026 – three footballers presented medical reports that spoke of “physical discomfort” and “precaution due to accumulated fatigue.”

The coaching staff initially accepted the justifications and allowed them to rest. However, in recent hours irrefutable evidence has come to light that shows that these absences were not due to any injury or controlled recovery, but rather to a private trip to a Mediterranean coastal destination.

According to multiple internal club sources consulted by various media, the images and testimonies obtained are devastating: the three players appear in photographs and videos enjoying the sun, walking along beaches, dining in luxury restaurants and sailing on private yachts with their partners.

None of them showed visible signs of injury or followed any supervised medical protocol. The evidence reached the club through various channels—some journalistic, others directly from fans and witnesses—and was verified by the security department and sports management in less than twelve hours.

Hansi Flick, known for his iron discipline and his absolute defense of professional values, made the decision alone after an emergency meeting with the sporting director and the president of the club. The sanction is immediate and forceful: the three players have been removed from the professional group with immediate effect, they will not travel to Madrid for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals and they have received the maximum fine allowed by the club’s internal regulations.

In addition, they must carry out individual training sessions under strict supervision for a minimum period that has not yet been publicly specified, and their return to the first team will be subject to a disciplinary and sporting evaluation.

Raphinha, the Brazilian winger who this season has established himself as one of the most decisive players on the team. He claimed muscle discomfort in the hamstring area for not participating in Thursday’s training. The images show him without any physical limitations, walking on the beach and participating in aquatic activities without apparent pain.

Fermín López, the young Andalusian midfielder who has burst into the rotation with force and who Flick especially values ​​for his versatility and dedication. He justified his absence due to “accumulated fatigue and medical precaution.” However, he was located in a luxury resort, far from any recovery center or medical monitoring of the club.

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The reaction within the club has been immediate and polarized. Sources close to the locker room assure that Flick’s decision has generated respect among the majority of the squad, who interpret the gesture as a radical defense of the shield and professionalism above individual names.

However, there are also internal voices that consider that the sanction comes at the worst possible moment: precisely when the team already has doubts about the availability of other important players and is facing one of the most hostile scenarios of the season.

“In this club there is no place for lies or lack of respect for the group. If a player says that he cannot train for health reasons and then we see him on the beach, that is not just a sporting question: it is a question of values. I am not here to be anyone’s friend, I am here to defend FC Barcelona. Whoever is not willing to give everything every day, don’t count on me. Period.”

“FC Barcelona informs that, after the confirmation of unjustified absences in training on Thursday, coach Hansi Flick has applied the disciplinary measures provided for in the internal regulations. These decisions respond to the club’s commitment to professionalism, transparency and the values ​​that all its players must represent. The coaching staff and the squad are now focusing all their attention on the Copa del Rey semi-final match against Atlético de Madrid.”

The news has caused a real storm on social networks and on sports programs. While an important part of the culé fans applauds Flick’s strong hand (“Finally someone puts order”, “This is defending the shield”, “Good for the German”), another sector criticizes the decision for understanding that it weakens the team at a decisive moment of the season (“With the casualties we already have, now we are left without three starters”, “This is sporting suicide”).

In those around Atlético de Madrid the news has been received with a mixture of surprise and contained satisfaction. Several Colchonero players and staff members have commented privately that “the atmosphere in the rival locker room is warm” and that this could benefit them in a match that was already expected to be very physical and tactical.

What is beyond all doubt is that FC Barcelona is now facing one of the most complicated weeks in recent years. Without three important players due to a disciplinary decision, with the pressure of a semi-final tie at the Metropolitano and with a locker room that, although united in theory, has just experienced a major internal fracture.

On Thursday, in Madrid, it will be seen if this crisis ends up becoming a positive turning point – with a team more focused and motivated than ever – or if, on the contrary, it becomes the beginning of a collapse that no one expected. The only thing that is certain is that Hansi Flick has made it clear that, under his command, there are no untouchables.

Not even when the calendar is tight and the Copa del Rey semi-finals are just around the corner. Football, once again, shows that the hardest decisions are usually made at the most inopportune moments. And that the consequences, for better or worse, are paid on the grass.