“We're going trophy-less”, “Just got flashbacks” - Barcelona fans fear the worst after 26-year-old is named in starting line-up for LaLiga opener

Barcelona fans online were left disappointed with Ronald Araujo in their starting XI to face Mallorca in their LaLiga opener on August 16, 2025. The centre-back was not a regular starter last season in the presence of Inigo Martinez.

Hansi Flick went for an expected starting XI against Mallorca with a couple of surprises. Joan Garcia starts in the goal, marking his first official LaLiga start for Barcelona. The backline comprises Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, and Eric Garcia. Jules Kounde is a notable exclusion from the backline. Pedri, Fermin Lopez, and Frenkie de Jong form the midfield. The attack features Raphinha on the left, Lamine Yamal on the right, and Ferran Torres as the striker in Robert Lewandowski's absence due to injury.

Fans took to X to react to the starting XI, with many being dissatisfied with Hansi Flick featuring Araujo in the defence. Some preferred Andreas Christensen over him as well. One netizen commented:

"We are going trophyless with Araujo. Fermin better than olmo."

Some other fans agreed, expressing their disagreement about Araujo's inclusion:

Fans continued to share their thoughts on the lineup:

Ronald Araujo was unavailable for the first half of last season owing to injuries. However, he was still not a regular starter for Barcelona in the latter half after his return, as Flick preferred a centre-back pairing of Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi for his system. With Martinez leaving the club for Al-Nassr this summer, Flick may choose to depend more on the Uruguayan.

Mallorca boss Jagoba Arrasate opens up about facing Barcelona in LaLiga opener

In a pre-match interview with Mundo Deportivo, Mallorca coach Jagoba Arrasate opened up about facing last season's champions, Barcelona, in their LaLiga opener. He said (via Barca Universal):

"With a perfect match, it goes without saying that they are the league champions. They have had a good pre-season, and I think they are in great form. We have to get closer to our best version and it all depends on defending well against a team that is capable of creating many scoring chances in attack."

He continued:

"Today they have normalised that in any game they can score four or five goals against any opponent and that is one of the keys, but we also have to attack them and to do so we must be fluid with the ball. In short, we have to get closer to excellence."

The game also marks former Barcelona star Pablo Torre facing the Catalans for the first time since his move to Mallorca this summer. La Blaugrana, however, retained a buy-back clause for Torre. The Spaniard is set to start for Mallorca in the opener tonight.

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Pratyasha is a Pop Culture and a European Football writer for Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and has over 3 years of experience in the pop culture industry. Throughout her career, Pratyasha has always emphasized detailed background checks, and believes in verifying all information regardless of how correct it may seem.

Pratyasha is an ardent admirer of Lionel Messi and has followed his journey since she was a kid; he inspires her with his dedication and humility. She has grown up watching, living, and breathing Satyajit Ray's cinema, which she believes is timeless. She loves Taylor Swift’s music and thinks she's a lyrical genius, and also admires Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone.

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Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar