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Barcelona fans are not pleased with the inclusion of Ferran Torres in the starting lineup of their first La Liga match of the season against Valencia. This will be Hansi Flick's first match in charge of the Blaugrana, as they travel to Mestalla on Saturday, August 17. However, he seems to have gotten off on the wrong foot with his decision to play the former Manchester City attacker.
Ferran Torres hasn't had the best of times at the famed Camp Nou. Since arriving from Manchester City in 2021 for a total fee of €65 million (via Eurosport), he has failed to meet or exceed expectations. The 24-year-old has already made 113 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring just 25 goals and providing 13 assists.
Last season, he scored just seven goals in 29 La Liga games for Barcelona, who failed to win a single trophy, while manager Xavi Hernandez was sacked.
Now in the new season, La Blaugrana fans were clearly hoping for another option from Hansi Flick. They were taken aback by Torres' inclusion for the clash against Valencia, taking to social media to react with posts like these:
"This flick go de start ferran for him first official match, yeah have seen enough, end this season already😭😭😭😭😭" one fan complained.
"ferran our lw.... yeah im not watching this s**t," another fan was upset.
"I’m not following 😂 Ferran?" a fan mocked.
"ferran has nothing to do in the starting eleven," another warned.
"Nah who tf invited ferran," a fan asked.
"Should ve been Pau victor instead of Ferran. Regardless Visca Barca," another added.
Other posts said:
Hansi Flick satisfied with Barcelona squad ahead of Valencia clash
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick will be hoping for an impressive start to the season when the Blaugrana face Valencia at the Mestalla on August 17. This comes after he made it clear that he was pleased with the squad and expects them to perform well.
He spoke to reporters ahead of their first league match of the season and his first competitive game as the club's manager. Discussing his squad, he said (via Reuters):
"I am satisfied with the squad I have, the rest is a question mark. When I signed my contract, I knew it wouldn't be easy but I trust the club blindly. And I am happy with the team, with what it offers. We have injured players who will gradually come back. We are still a strong team."
Barcelona are, indeed, a strong team, with impressive players in every area of the pitch. However, they will need to gel properly and perform brilliantly if they are to see off the Spanish juggernauts and rivals Real Madrid to potentially win the title.
