Girona took the game to Barcelona at Montjuic on Sunday night, and came out victors by a margin, following a 4-2 victory. Although they did concede a number of chances, there must have been a slight sweetness to the win for Eric Garcia, loaned from Barcelona to Girona, after being given very few minutes last season.
“When I made the decision, I was looking for a team where I could feel important and demonstrate my qualities,” Garcia explained to Sport.
3 interceptions
4 tackles
4/7 ground duels
29/35 passes (83%)
49 touchesEric Garcia looked rather good against Barcelona last night. pic.twitter.com/Ooi5Okf2Js
— Football España (@footballespana_) December 11, 2023
“I never imagined the moment we are enjoying, but we have to enjoy it knowing that in the seasons there are ups and downs. Teams like Barca, Madrid or Atleti are going to be at the top of the table due to their squad, but we have to continue playing our game.”
The 22-year-old has received plenty of stick during his two seasons at Barcelona, but started last season well before regressing again. While he was always incisive with the ball, the focus of that criticism was always his defensive work. Girona coach Michel Sanchez did not see the same defender many others did though.
“He seems like a top player to me and, unfortunately, he is a Barca player. When we spoke on the phone I told him that he wasn’t just coming because of his ability with the ball and that he was very good defensively. For me he meets all the conditions to be a top centre-back. You don’t have to measure two meters,” Michel told MD.
Michel and Girona continue to improve players under their purview. Garcia is just one example amongst the likes of Savio, Miguel Gutierrez, Yan Couto, Arnau Martinez, Aleix Garcia and Ivan Martin. Equally, their structure and ability to make their players comfortable, means they continue to get the best out of their players.
