RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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FC Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia is ready for the next challenge.
“I’ve been at Barça for a year. We won La Liga and the Super Cup, and this year I won the FIFA World Cup, so obviously the goal for the upcoming season is the UEFA Champions League. The World Cup is the ultimate title at the national team level, and the Champions League is the trophy that comes closest to it at the club level. That is the goal I’m setting for this year,” he said in a new interview .
He was a backup for Spain as they won the World Cup in dominant fashion, but he was a starter at club level for both trophies, and is naturally expected to continue as the #1 for Barça.
Despite his ambition, Garcia warned against becoming “obsessed” with any one competition.
“It has to be a middle ground. Obsessing isn’t good because the negative impact can be huge if the goal isn’t achieved, but we are very confident that we can do it.”
Last season, Barcelona failed to defeat Atlético de Madrid in the Champions League. In particular, a red card in the first leg made the job extremely hard.
“We are a very young team,” Garcia, 25, reasoned. “I think we have to learn from what happened to us last season. Luck wasn’t on our side, but it’s something that should help us gain experience.”
Garcia arrived last season from crosstown rivals RCD Espanyol. A product of the Espanyol academy, he became a standout after reaching the first team. His maiden season with Barcelona was a success, despite dealing with injury struggles early on. He ended up winning the league trophy as the undisputed starter.
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