Exclusive for Every Body: Barcelona’s physical performance is sluggish this season, Flick makes emergency adjustments

On October 21, Daily Sports News exclusively reported that La Liga official data shows that Barcelona has encountered a decline in physical fitness this season.

Data shows that in the 2025-26 season, Barcelona’s running distance will decrease, the intensity of pressure will decrease, and they will become fatigued more easily. Compared with last season, the team's total running distance and high-intensity running (21 km/h to 24 km/h) have dropped significantly, well below the league average.

In the 2024-25 season, Barcelona ranks fifth in running distance per game, reaching 117,429 meters, which is higher than the La Liga average (115,572 meters). At that time, the team combined high-intensity continuous pressure and ball control to remain competitive at the end of the game.

However, a year later the situation changed dramatically. In the first eight rounds of La Liga this season, Barcelona's running distance dropped to 15th, only 113,444 meters, which is far lower than the current league average (115,091 meters). This means that Flick's team ran nearly 4 kilometers less per game. This is not only a simple number, but also reflects the decline in overall pressing intensity and sustained pressing ability.

Compared with direct competitors, the gap is even more obvious. Atletico Madrid averages more than 120 kilometers per game, teams such as Espanyol, Elche and Celta also exceed 117,000 meters, while Barcelona is at a lower level with teams such as Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Valencia. The most eye-catching is Real Madrid, which has been at the bottom of the fitness rankings for two consecutive years.

Flick did not turn a blind eye to this decline in physical fitness data. The German coach paid great attention to the team's physical fitness. He held an emergency meeting with the technical team and physical fitness coach last Monday to discuss the physical fitness data collected in recent weeks and formulated a plan to immediately adjust the training load and plan.

The compact schedule is also one of the reasons, including the league, Champions League and international match days. Players have accumulated a lot of game time, especially young players. But Flick doesn't make excuses. His goal is to regain the aggressiveness and pressing ability he showed last season. To do this, he designed a personalized training program focused on improving repetitive sprint ability and aerobic endurance.

The decline in physical fitness directly affected Barcelona's game performance. Barcelona in the 2024-25 season is known for pressing opponents, able to steal in the opponent's half and control the tempo of the game. This season's data shows that the team is duller and less intense, making it difficult to maintain a fast pace for a long time. The decline in high-intensity running distance confirms that Barcelona are not only running less, but also accelerating less and arriving at key areas with insufficient energy.

Flick knows that without intensity, the tactical system will collapse. He therefore focused on restoring the physical foundation that underpinned his football philosophy. The technical team hopes to reverse this trend through more refined load management and improved rest, nutrition, and injury prevention. It is clear internally at Barcelona: the team must become stronger physically in order to become stronger in football.

The season has only started a third of the time, but the data has already sounded the alarm. If Barcelona hopes to be as invincible as last season, it must start with physical fitness.