Did Hansi Flick drop a future hint with Barcelona captaincy pick in pre-season friendly?

The call made by Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick regarding his captain for the club’s pre-season opener on Thursday may have served as something of a hint when it comes to plans in his squad.

Barca, for those not aware, marked their return to action yesterday evening.

Ahead of jetting off to the USA for a pre-season tour at the weekend, the Blaugrana took to the pitch for the first time since May, in a meeting with minnows UE Olot.

When all was said and done, the Catalans emerged on the right side of the result, thanking a solitary Pablo Torre strike for an eventual 1-0 win.

Of Barcelona’s first-team stars, a quartet featured from the off against Olot, in the form of Oriol Romeu, Iñigo Martínez, Vitor Roque, and the returning Alejandro Balde.

Of these four, the first three have of course all been linked with departures from the Camp Nou this summer, amid efforts to clear space in a bloated squad.

As alluded to above, though, Hansi Flick, nevertheless, felt it right to hand the captain’s armband to Iñigo Martínez.

The 33-year-old has been labelled as surplus to requirements at Barcelona in the media of late, widely tipped to be moved on before the close of the summer transfer window.

Still a reliable presence at the back, and with Ronald Araújo sidelined long-term, however, could Iñigo’s captaincy status against Olot hint at a change of plans for the former Athletic Club man moving forward?

Only time, of course, will tell…

Conor Laird | GSFN