Barcelona have little reason to rush into a change in the dugout. Hansi Flick remains in charge, his contract runs until June 2028, and the club entered the 2026/27 season with a strong run of results. Yet long-term planning rarely starts when a vacancy appears; sporting directors must identify credible options well before a decision becomes urgent.
The recent defeats Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have ended Barcelona’s perfect start to the campaign and exposed the cost of mistakes against elite opposition. Though, two losses do not erase Flick’s work, nor does it establish that the board has lost faith in him.
There is, however, a wider question about what comes after the German coach. Flick has indicated that Barcelona could be his final coaching job before he devotes more time to his family, although no departure date has emerged. With his contract running through 2028, the club have time to assess potential successors without disrupting the current campaign.
According to Diario Sport, Barcelona are keeping track of Cesc Fàbregas’s progress at Como as part of that longer-term planning. Former teammate Cristian Tello, speaking to SPORT, praised the Spaniard’s football intelligence and said he could see him taking charge at Camp Nou because he understands the club’s identity. Fàbregas came through La Masia and played for Barcelona, giving him a clear connection to the club’s possession-based traditions.
His coaching work in Italy has added substance to that connection. Como finished fourth in Serie A last season and secured Champions League qualification for the first time in their history. Fàbregas has built a side that value possession and structured build-up, principles that resemble Barcelona’s preferred approach. His contract runs until June 2028, although reports say it contains a special exit clause for Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea; the precise financial terms have not been disclosed.
Should Barcelona prepare Fàbregas as Flick’s successor?
Barcelona should keep Fàbregas under close review, but they must avoid treating succession planning as a response to one European defeat. Flick’s high press and aggressive defensive line have helped shape the team’s identity, while the PSG match showed how quickly those risks can punish lapses in concentration and late-game control. A future coach would need to preserve Barcelona’s attacking ambition while improving the team’s ability to manage difficult spells.
Fàbregas offers a credible option because he knows the club’s culture and has already shown that he can build a possession-led team. Still, success at Como does not guarantee success at Barcelona, where pressure, expectations and squad demands are considerably greater. The board must judge his work across a longer stretch, including how his team handles setbacks and balances control with defensive security.
Sergio Busquets is another former player reportedly gaining coaching experience with Barcelona’s reserve setup, giving the club more than one internal connection to consider. For now, Deco and the hierarchy should keep their attention on supporting Flick, evaluating Fàbregas on evidence rather than nostalgia, and ensuring any eventual appointment has a clear football plan rather than simply a familiar name.
