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Frenkie de Jong smiles as he is subbed on while Alejandro Balde caught in awkward moment during Barcelona’s win over Atletico Madrid

Frenkie de Jong was all smiles as he relayed instructions to the substitutes bench from manager Hansi Flick that he was going to play as a right-back during the match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid. It was a less happy…

By Luis Mazariegos · Barca Blaugranes

Published: Tuesday, 10 November 2026 at 4:09 PM

Key Things to Know

Frenkie de Jong was brought on as a full-back while Alejandro Balde remained on Barcelona's bench against Atletico Madrid.
De Jong smiled as he shared manager Hansi Flick's tactical instructions with the substitutes bench.
Youth player Ebrima Tunkara explained the tactical switch to Alex Campos while a stone-faced Balde sat between them.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Frenkie de Jong was all smiles on the substitutes bench as manager Hansi Flick instructed him to enter as a right-back during Barcelona's victory over Atletico Madrid. Midfielder De Jong came on to replace Brian Farinas, prompting reactions among the substitutes.

The tactical decision created an awkward moment for left-back Alejandro Balde, who remained seated stone-faced between youth players Alex Campos and Ebrima Tunkara. The writer notes Balde appears buried on the bench despite defensive injuries and is currently linked with an exit away from Barcelona.

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