Barcelona's Leadership Shift: Raphinha as New Captain
Barcelona are heading into the new season without a fixed first captain and, for a club that has always treated the armband as an institution, that is no small detail.
Marc-André ter Stegen’s loan move to Ajax stripped the dressing room of its most established leader. Ronald Araujo briefly stepped into the primary role, only for his own potential switch to Liverpool to throw the hierarchy back into chaos. In the space of a few weeks, the spine of the leadership group has been ripped out.
Hansi Flick now has to redraw the map.
Until the end of last season, the structure was clear: Ter Stegen, Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha and Pedri formed the core leadership unit. It was stable, predictable, and deeply tied to the team’s tactical and emotional backbone. That stability has gone.
De Jong stands as the obvious candidate to take over as first captain. He is senior, respected and central to how Barcelona want to play. But his current injury has complicated everything. Inside the club, his recovery has become a point of tension, with the hierarchy reportedly frustrated by what they view as a decision to prioritise the World Cup over his club commitments. For a first captain, that cloud matters.
So the spotlight swings to Raphinha.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian has quietly become one of the most influential figures in the dressing room. Not just with goals and assists, but with presence. He trains hard, plays hard, talks constantly to those around him. Teammates respond to him. His blend of personality, competitive edge and growing authority has pushed him to the front of the queue to wear the armband on a regular basis, especially while De Jong’s status remains uncertain.
Pedri is expected to sit alongside them in the leadership group. Still young, but already a reference point in the squad, he brings a calmer, more introspective type of authority. Between De Jong, Raphinha and Pedri, Barcelona believe they have three of the five captaincy slots effectively locked in.
The final two places open the door to the club’s next generation of leaders.
Eric Garcia has emerged as one of the strongest candidates. The former Manchester City defender carries top-level experience and, crucially, a deep connection to La Masia. He understands the demands, the scrutiny, the weight of the shirt. For a club desperate to reconnect its present with its academy roots, that matters as much as any tactical attribute.
Then there is Gavi.
At 22, he would be a very young captain by Barcelona standards, but his football age is far higher. He has already lived through title races, crises and constant pressure. On the pitch he embodies the traits the club likes to claim as its own: intensity, aggression, relentlessness, a refusal to hide. Those qualities make him an obvious candidate, regardless of the date on his passport.
Time is not on Barcelona’s side. The hierarchy wants the captaincy group finalised before the competitive season begins. Flick, still shaping his authority in the dressing room, needs clear conduits between his staff and a squad loaded with young talent and big personalities. The captains will be asked to set standards, hold the line on discipline and keep morale steady when the inevitable turbulence hits.
De Jong remains the most senior survivor of the previous leadership cycle, but his injury and long-term future keep him under a question mark. That uncertainty shifts responsibility elsewhere.
On current evidence, the burden of leading Barcelona into a new era will fall heavily on Raphinha and the La Masia core. The only question now is whether this new leadership can carry the club with the same conviction as the legends whose shadows still loom over the Camp Nou.
