Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expresses disappointment over the delay in registering Marcus Rashford for the LaLiga opener against Mallorca. The club faces challenges complying with La Liga’s salary cap. Flick confirms Joan Garcia as the new goalkeeper and highlights key players to watch, predicting a Barcelona win based on historical performance and Opta probabilities.
Hansi Flick, the Barcelona manager, has voiced his discontent over the club's failure to register Marcus Rashford ahead of their LaLiga opener against Mallorca. The registration issues cast a shadow over Barcelona's title defense, leaving the availability of their key signing uncertain for the crucial match. The club is trying to comply with La Liga's financial regulations.
Barcelona, who clinched the Spanish top-flight title alongside the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana last season, are set to begin their LaLiga campaign at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix. The team is eager to start the new season on a strong note, yet the uncertainty surrounding Rashford's participation has become a major concern for Flick and the team's supporters.
Despite securing two signings in this transfer window, the Catalan side has struggled to register Rashford due to LaLiga's strict salary cap rules. Barcelona spent €25 million to acquire goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Espanyol and secured Rashford on a season-long loan from Manchester United. While Garcia's registration was expedited following an injury to first-choice keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Rashford's situation remains unresolved.
The club was granted permission by LaLiga to allocate Ter Stegen's salary cap space to register Garcia, yet Rashford's registration faces complications. Barca face a challenge due to LaLiga’s salary cap rules that also hampered Dani Olmo and Pau Victor during the previous season. These regulations have limited the club’s ability to field all their new players.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Flick expressed his frustration, stating, "You can imagine that I’m not happy about that, but I know the situation, and I believe in the club." He added, "We have to wait until tomorrow. I think it was the same situation last season also. We just focus on what we can change, what we have in our hands, and as for the other things, I believe in the club."
Flick also confirmed that Garcia would take over from Wojciech Szczesny as the team's number one, emphasizing his confidence in the young goalkeeper's potential. "It was a decision from everyone at the club to sign Joan because he’s the future of the club," Flick explained. "From what I have seen in training, he’s a really great goalkeeper. For me, Szczesny is the right person behind him because he has a lot of experience and also, he supports him a lot."
Last season, Barcelona edged out Real Madrid by four points to win the title and are the Opta supercomputer’s favorites to retain their crown in 2025-26, estimating a 47% chance of winning, compared to Madrid's 31.8%. Flick noted, "We started our mission last season, and we want to continue. When you win three titles, it’s not the end. I think we have the quality to be a better team, but it depends on the results."
Mallorca, who finished 10th last season, just four points away from a European spot, are predicted to finish 13th this term by the supercomputer. Mallorca will be eager to start the season with a positive result against the reigning champions, and the potential absence of Rashford could boost their chances.
Players to Watch
Mallorca – Vedat Muriqi
Vedat Muriqi is a key player for Mallorca, having scored 34 goals in 109 games for the club in LaLiga. He ranks as the fourth-highest scorer in the club's top-flight history, trailing only Samuel Eto’o (54), Juan Arango (46), and Victor Casadesus (37). Last season, Muriqi led the team with seven league goals, underscoring his importance to Mallorca’s attacking prowess.
Barcelona – Raphinha
Raphinha has a strong record against Mallorca, scoring three goals in six LaLiga matches against them. He has also scored three goals against Celta Vigo, Real Betis, Real Madrid, and Sevilla in the competition. Raphinha provided 56 goal involvements in all competitions last season (34 goals, 22 assists), with only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah registering more.
Match Prediction – Barcelona Win
Barcelona has a strong history in their opening LaLiga matches, losing only once in the last 16 campaigns (13 wins, two draws). Their sole defeat came against Athletic Bilbao in August 2019. However, Mallorca also tends to start strongly, with only one defeat in their last 12 campaigns in LaLiga. But the Blaugrana have won 14 away games against Mallorca in LaLiga this century. Barcelona scored 174 goals in 60 games last season in all competitions and have not lost any of their last 11 away games in LaLiga.
Opta Win Probability
- Mallorca – 16.8%
- Barcelona – 62.5%
- Draw – 20.7%