Chelsea forward Marc Guiu surprised many when he left Barcelona for west London last summer, but the player himself attributes some of the blame to Hansi Flick.
Guiu made his professional debut for Barcelona on Oct. 2023 against Athletic Club. The then 17-year-old made history, scoring his first goal for Barça just 33 seconds after coming onto the pitch in his debut.
The teenager was one of the young La Masia graduates that former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández placed his faith in and incorporated to the first team, along with Fermín López, Pau Cubarsí and, of course, Lamine Yamal.
Guiu scored twice in seven appearances for the Catalans in 2023–24, but everything changed once Xavi left the club and was succeeded by Flick. Upon the German’s arrival, Guiu’s position at his boyhood club became murky, resulting in his transfer from Barcelona.
Guiu: ‘I Could’ve Played More’ at Barcelona
The now Chelsea player spoke to TV3 about his exit from Barcelona and threw a jab at Flick.
“Honestly, I feel like I could’ve played a little more,” Guiu said, via Sport. “But you could see the club had other projects. [Robert] Lewandowski was there and they’d just signed Vitor Roque. It was clear I had no place there.
“The only time I spoke with Hansi Flick, I remember was during a play-off and he told me to do well. The truth is that I would’ve liked the manager to call me, but it wasn’t the case. In the end I understood the situation wasn’t good for me and I decided to leave.”
Chelsea triggered Guiu’s €6 million ($6.4 million) release clause last summer. The young Spaniard has 17 appearances for the Blues and has found the back of the net six times.
Guiu was loaned to Sunderland at the start of the 2025–26 season, but after three appearances and one goal, he was recalled from his loan in the aftermath of Nicolas Jackson’s departure and Liam Delap’s injury.
The 19-year-old now aims to carve out a role in Enzo Maresca’s side to continue his development.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘The Truth Is’—Marc Guiu Makes Honest Admission About Barcelona Exit.
