Flick delivers bad news for Dominik Livaković
Hansi Flick withdrew Joan García with knee pain and brought on Wojciech Szczesny, keeping Dominik Livaković on the bench.
Barcelona extended their perfect start to the season with a 7-2 home win over Racing Santander on 17 September 2026, but the match brought unexpected goalkeeper news that could affect Dominik Livaković's playing chances.
Squad change and a precautionary withdrawal
Although first-choice keeper Joan García began the game, cameras caught him slipping in the final action of the first half. Manager Hansi Flick withdrew García at halftime and introduced veteran Wojciech Szczesny (36) in the second half — a move that surprised many in the Spanish press.
Flick later explained that García had felt pain in his knee after the incident and that his availability for the upcoming match against Sevilla on Saturday was now uncertain, prompting the cautious change.
When asked about the on-field error by the Polish goalkeeper, Flick played it down: "All of us make mistakes, but when the goalkeeper does that, it often results in a goal. He will have to deal with it better next time, but that is football. Szczesny remains our second goalkeeper."
Those remarks and the decision to hand Szczesny minutes are bad news for Dominik Livaković (31). Livaković joined Barcelona from Fenerbahçe this summer for a fee of €2 million and has yet to play a single minute for his new club.
Photo: press material from the event
