Deco issues dressing‑room warning as Hansi Flick faces heat after losses to Sevilla and PSG

Barcelona’s early wobble has intensified the spotlight on head coach Hansi Flick after consecutive defeats to Sevilla and PSG. According to Spanish reports, sporting director Deco has delivered a clear message to the squad: standards must rise immediately. The debate now pivots to injuries, thin squad depth, and whether Barca need a classic No.9 to re-balance the attack. Supporters are split—some back Flick’s work amid absences, others demand stronger recruitment. With league and European fixtures stacking up, Flick’s tactical tweaks and the return to fitness of key creators could be decisive in resetting momentum and restoring calm inside the dressing room.

Following Barcelona’s defeats to Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain, Spanish outlet Marca reported that sporting director Deco has warned the team that performances must improve quickly. The timing is sensitive: an early-season dip coincides with injuries to important contributors and a summer window that did not overhaul depth as much as some expected.

Inside the club, the message is being framed as a demand for focus and accountability rather than a threat. The context includes calls from sections of the fanbase for a traditional centre-forward and greater squad rotation while key attackers work back to full sharpness.

Hansi Flick is living under great pressure after the defeats to Sevilla and PSG. Deco has sent a warning to the team, and now Flick is expected to turn the situation around. — @marca

@BarcaUniversal

Impact Analysis

Deco’s warning inserts urgency into Barcelona’s season at a critical juncture. In the short term, a directive from the sporting director can tighten standards: crisper off-the-ball work, faster circulation in the first phase, and greater concentration defending the box—areas exposed in the losses to Sevilla and PSG. A sharper press and more secure rest-defense will be vital if Flick wants to prevent transitions that have hurt Barcelona against top opposition.

Medium term, this episode revives the roster-construction debate. Flick’s positional play has shown promise, but the attack can flatten without direct width or a reference striker to pin centre-backs. If Raphinha and Fermín López are sidelined or limited, Barcelona lack secondary shot creation and counter-pressing energy. That magnifies reliance on veterans like Robert Lewandowski and midfielders such as İlkay Gündoğan and Pedri to carry chance creation.

From a governance angle, public signals of pressure can cut two ways. They can galvanize the squad or create noise that undermines process. The path to stability is coherent alignment: the board backing Flick’s tactical plan, recruitment matching those demands, and the medical/fitness departments synchronizing returns. If Barcelona convert this warning into a reset—clear roles, quicker wingers attacking space, and better set-piece detail—the short slump can be contained without structural fallout.

Reaction

Fan reaction is sharply split. A vocal group blames the board for “weakening a treble-winning team” and still expecting miracles, arguing the coach can only do so much without reinforcements. Others counter that a top club must respond after any two-game slide, welcoming Deco’s message as overdue accountability. A persistent thread questions the mixed stance on a classic No.9: supporters recall previous briefings suggesting Barcelona could manage without one, and they now view chance conversion as a glaring issue.

Injury context is a major refrain. Commenters highlight how the side looks flatter without Raphinha and Fermín López, praising their tempo, pressing hunger, and directness. Some insist Flick is currently the glue holding the team competitive and that removing him would invite chaos. There’s also skepticism about the report itself, with a few fans labeling it sensational and noting that “two bad games isn’t a sin.”

Pragmatic voices call for improved depth rather than warnings—urging the sporting department to add quality in specific roles and protect minutes for key players. The most pointed replies ask what a “warning” really means: performance metrics, internal fines, or a genuine ultimatum. Underneath the noise, the baseline consensus is clear—results must turn quickly, and clarity on recruitment would soothe nerves.

Social reactions

We shouldn’t read marca articles

babushka (@Foootball143)

Same Deco who things we don’t need a nō9 and that there’s need to sign one?????

DREAM CHASER (@RaymondBilly4)

Only stupid people would believe what MARCA says 😂🙄

🇲​​​​. (@_emeereeme)

Prediction

Expect Flick to tighten the structure first: a narrower front line to speed central combinations, full-backs staggering their heights to protect rest-defense, and a more aggressive counter-press after losses of possession. In games where Barcelona face mid-blocks, one winger will likely be tasked with constant depth runs to stretch the last line, freeing Gündoğan and Pedri to operate in the half-spaces. Set-pieces should receive extra emphasis—Barcelona need low-variance goals while rhythm returns.

If Raphinha and Fermín López approach full fitness, their reintroduction can transform pressing triggers and second-phase chances, easing load on Lewandowski. Should finishing variance persist, don’t be surprised if Barcelona trial a more direct option—using a target profile late in matches or fast-tracking a B-team striker for specific scenarios.

Externally, the club’s messaging will likely pivot toward unity: assuring backing for Flick while setting measurable internal targets for the next few fixtures. A mini-run of positive results—clean sheets and one-goal wins—would cool the temperature fast. If performances stall beyond that window, recruitment talk around a penalty-box forward and an energetic wide option will intensify ahead of the next market.

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Conclusion

Deco’s intervention underscores a familiar truth at Barcelona: standards are non-negotiable, and the response must be immediate. Yet pressure alone won’t fix structural details exposed by Sevilla and PSG. Flick’s blueprint is coherent—positional play with quicker access to the box and a braver press—but it needs the right profiles available and sharp. The near-term cure is practical: stabilize rest-defense, add direct width, and squeeze higher-value shots without overexposing transition lanes.

The medium-term solution sits in recruitment alignment. If the sporting department decides a reference No.9 or a high-pace winger is essential, the plan should be communicated and executed with conviction. Fans have voiced both patience and urgency; converting that energy into unity around a clear model will be decisive. Deliver a tight, professional run now, and this episode becomes a footnote. Fail to arrest the slide, and the noise around roles, roster balance, and timelines will only grow louder.