With the Euros over, the focus has shifted to the transfer window—and for us Barcelona Femení fans, it’s a strange and trying time. Reports, both accurate and otherwise, suggest Barça Femení is gearing up for a quiet window. How can the club retain its seat at the pinnacle of the sport with what could be its shortest roster on record?
It’s Not the Size of the Dog
Short rosters aren’t new to Barça. While perhaps unfamiliar to the women’s team, the men’s side has set a relatively good precedent. Pere Romeu can learn a valuable lesson about not just surviving, but thriving, with a small squad.
To understand how a 17-player roster—supplemented by four or five youth players—can succeed, look no further than the tactics of Hansi Flick, Romeu’s counterpart with the men’s team. Though complex, these methods are tried and tested. Barça Femení has the talent and skill to pull them off—and one key advantage: experience.
Beyond tactics, the team must want it—badly. Competing on all fronts is notoriously difficult, but not impossible, as shown by the successful 2023–24 campaign mounted by many of these same players. Now, with five fewer players and two more seasons behind them, Barça must do it again. As the saying goes: It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
Necessity Is the Mother of Invention
So, what are these tactics? A shift in approach and mentality—specifically, a move from the 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Defense
It starts with Cata Coll. Her footwork and shot-stopping are well-known, and she’ll be essential to the proposed system.
A moderately high defensive line is ideal. Flick’s aggressive high line requires synchronization, practice, and—frankly—VAR and well-trained referees, which remain luxuries in women’s football. To avoid the narrow margins that often trouble Flick’s setup, Romeu should dial it back slightly.
From left to right, the starting defense could be: Ona Batlle, Maria León, Irene Paredes, and Laia Aleixandri. Both Batlle and Aleixandri would be slightly out of position—but with good reason. Ona is a very good right-back, but she truly thrives at left-back. Laia, primarily a center-back or defensive midfielder, could use her midfield qualities at right-back.
Drawing comparisons to Flick’s setup: Ona is like Balde on steroids. Two ball-playing center-backs and a right-back who can tuck in or overlap as needed – Aleixandri. Speed and long-range passing will be key. While Laia isn’t quick, this can be mitigated with practice.
Midfield
This is where the biggest changes lie. Last season, Romeu’s tactics often bypassed the midfield and half-spaces in favor of the wings. A double pivot is central to Flick’s system—and not unfamiliar to Barça Femení, who have used it successfully over the past three seasons.
It began when Keira Walsh joined and Patri was deployed as a central midfielder, pushing Aitana into an attacking, goal-scoring role. Alexia could fit in as a deep-lying playmaker but tends to forget the defensive duties that come with the role, leading to a litany of mistakes, and Patri getting overwhelmed. Another option: promote Emilka Szymczak to the first team to play Patri’s role, freeing Patri to shift into central midfield. Together, Patri and Emilka would offer vision, control, and progression.
The No. 10 role is open to Aitana, Alexia, Kika, and Sydney Joy Schertenleib. Aitana is the natural choice, but given her minutes load from last season, Kika and Sydney could share the role. Alexia is also well suited for this role, perhaps better than any other role in this setup.
Quick ball movement, fast transitions, and a heavy press will be essential. This requires extreme fitness and relentless energy. Accurate shooting will magnify the attack’s lethality.
Forward Line
Romeu has options up top, but sticking to Flick’s template, the requirements are:
a) A dynamic, fast right winger: Graham Hansen, Salma Paralluelo, or Vicky López.
b) A hungry striker who can hold up play and make smart runs: Ewa Pajor or Claudia Pina.
c) A left winger who can attack the back post or stay wide, depending on who is playing left back: Esmee Brugts, Salma, or Pina. Given that it’s likely Esmee and Corrales will be the left backs, the choice of who plays the left wing will depend on who between the two starts.
Accuracy and speed are key. Graham Hansen can also play on the left, with Salma on the right—though Salma’s first touch, dribbling, and end product must improve significantly if she’s deployed wide.
Set Pieces
For the powerhouse it is, Barça is statistically poor at converting set pieces—especially decisive ones. Romeu should implement near-perfect drills for corners, free kicks, and penalties until opposing teams dread conceding set pieces as much as open-play chances.
Conclusion
Three things must change fundamentally if the short roster is to work:
a) Increase the speed of ball circulation and transition.
b) Always look to score, using the quickest route to goal with pinpoint accuracy.
c) Make set pieces count.
In short, no more circling, or idle backward and sideways passing. Always forward motion, where possible.
Furthermore, as we saw last season, Romeu is not a fan of rotations—and when he does rotate, the team often feels off. He must improve at utilizing squad players like Corrales and B team talents such as Camara, Serrajordi, and Schertenleib.
This brings me to a final point: this high-intensity style could lead to injuries if player load isn’t managed carefully—as seen with Manchester City Women last season. They started well, but the system proved too intense to maintain long-term. Burnout is a real risk. With proper management, however, it can work.
