A Real Madrid doctor just fueled the wildest Barcelona bandage conspiracy

Niko Mihic, then a former Real Madrid club doctor who has since returned to work at the Bernabeu, gave an interview to Marca about footballers wearing bandages on their hands. The question was not specifically about Barcelona players, according to the source — but his answer did not stay on that narrow path for long.

"It could be that they're designing strategy games, playing loads of table football and suffering from tendonitis… just as it could be that they haven't bribed Negreira," Mihic said.

The Negreira line landed squarely in the middle of a conspiracy that had been simmering on social media since 2025, when theories on X claimed Barca players wore bandages to hide needle marks. Mihic did not confirm anything about those players — he was answering a general question about hand and wrist bandages in football.

"I don't know what's going on, but what I mean is that any doctor knows that if you want easier access to the veins, it's in the hands and wrists," he added.

Then came the line that fueled the fire most: "I don't believe in fads. I don't think a player wears something that's designed for an injury or a weakness unless there's a reason."

A doctor's offhand remark, wrapped in a joke about a bribery scandal, handed the internet exactly what it wanted. The bandage theories were back.

THE CONSPIRACY TIMELINE

The bandage theories first surfaced in 2025, near the end of Hansi Flick's first season in charge at Barcelona. At that moment, Barca were on their way to winning a domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana titles.

Theories on X and other platforms claimed Barca players wore bandages to hide marks on their hands, supposedly left by injection needles, presumably covering up illicit performance enhancement. The exact origin of the conspiracy theories is not confirmed in the source.

The pattern, per the source, is consistent: Barca go on a purple patch, winning games and showcasing their attacking best, and the theories resurface. They are doing exactly that now, with seven wins from seven in La Liga and 31 goals scored.

The first wave of speculation peaked as Barca closed in on silverware. Raphinha was the first player to address it directly, speaking to ESPN before Barca's match with Real Madrid in May 2025. "During this whole season, outsiders have tried to destabilise us any way they can," he said.