Lost in the shuffle – Barcelona youngster struggling for minutes under Hansi Flick | OneFootball

Fermin Lopez is in his second season with the first-team setup at FC Barcelona with the goal of consolidating his place in the squad after a debut year in which he went from being a surprise to a reliable presence.

However, the player from La Masia has seen his minutes significantly reduced in recent matches while his performances in La Liga matches have also not been up to the mark.

While he continues to be a player who offers a lot with his versatility, the Spaniard has struggled to find his place under Hansi Flick, particularly following the return of Gavi, who is now the German’s preferred choice for the attacking midfield role.

Season overview

So far this season, Fermin Lopez has played 717 minutes, across 19 matches in all competitions, scoring one goal (against Crvena Zvezda in the UEFA Champions League) and providing three assists.

The 21-year-old has largely been used as a No. 10 (eight games) while he has also played five matches as a winger (four on the left and one on the right). However, out of the 19 appearances this term, the La Masia midfielder has started only seven.

Last season, under former manager Xavi Hernandez, he was given much more significant playing time, as he appeared in 43 matches (19 starts), accumulating 1,948 minutes, and scoring 11 goals, which made him a key player.

Fermin’s recent decline in minutes

Struggling for minutes. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Fermin missed a bunch of matches in the early phases of the season first due to his involvement in the Olympics and later due to injury. But there was a stretch between mid-October and December where he played on a regular basis under Flick.

However, in recent weeks, Fermin has only appeared in two of the last four matches, both coming off the bench.

After starting and completing the full 90 minutes against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey, he was benched for the Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Athletic Club, coming on in the 63rd minute for Lamine Yamal. The Spaniard did not feature in the final against Real Madrid.

Fermin then started from the bench again in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey match against Real Betis, where he played less than 20 minutes after replacing Gavi.

In the first league match of the year, away at Getafe, Fermin did not play at all, despite Barcelona needing to inject energy into their play.

Flick used all three of his available substitution windows (bringing on Frenkie de Jong at half-time, Dani Olmo at the 60-minute mark, and Ferran Torres in the final stages), leaving two changes unused.

Fierce competition

It is clear that the competition for places in the positions occupied by Fermin is fierce, and other players, such as Pablo Torre, are also feeling the effects.

Even the marquee signing of the season, Dani Olmo, has struggled to secure a regular starting role, especially after Gavi’s return to form in recent games.

As such, for Fermin, it remains a tough challenge to find consistent playing time, despite consistently contributing whenever he is called upon and adding a unique dimension to Barcelona’s play.