BarcelonaEric Garcia was the involuntary protagonist of the Barça presidential elections in 2021. The candidates played with his name as another electoral weapon. Some because they wanted it that very winter (Víctor Font), others because they wanted to wait (Joan Laporta) and the last ones were sailing between two waters (Toni Freixa). Perhaps for this reason, and despite the fact that the central player ended up arriving at the Camp Nou that summer as a free agent, many look at him as if he had cost a million. He actually came on a free, after his contract with City expired.
Performance at Camp Nou has been intermittent. In some games he has been able to establish himself as a solvent centre-back, with a very good ball exit and who understands the positional play that Xavi wants – and which he had already practiced in Manchester with Pep Guardiola-. In others, he has been slow to recover and soft in direct duels, especially with the ball set. Shortcomings that, in a Barça that has strengthened the defensive line – Araujo has been consolidated and Christensen and Kounde have been signed – have led Eric to have fewer minutes than he seemed predestined to have. A circumstance that had fueled all kinds of rumors about a punishment of the coach for poor performance or a hypothetical sale this January. Theses which, in consultation with the ARA, have been categorically denied by the locker room.
The centre-back started the season well, being the undisputed starter, but was injured at the end of October. The slight injury did not prevent him, for example, from entering Luis Enrique’s list for the World Cup, although he did not play a single minute in any of the four matches that Spain played there. Sources at the club explain that he returned from Qatar “with discomfort” and this caused him to miss the derby against Espanyol. He did play against Intercity (Cup), coming on in the 60th minute. But he was again on the bench in the League game against Atlético de Madrid, in the Super Cup semi-finals against Betis and in the final with Real Madrid. In fact, in this last match he came on in the 89th minute of emergency, with the match already decided, because Araujo had asked for the change. Finally, and in an eleven full of substitutes, Eric was the starter and played the 90 minutes in the Copa thrashing against Ceuta.
“Eric has played great games with us and for me he is a guarantee,” Xavi praised him this week. And he added that they were “very happy” with his performance and guaranteed that very soon “he will come in and be important”. From the dressing room they add that the discomfort with which he came back from the World Cup is already over: “Now he is fully recovered and ready”.
Xavi opposed Eric’s departure
At a time when Barça is short of vests and needs money, and considering that Eric is a signing at zero cost – he has no amortization –, the sports leadership thought of him to make a drawer this winter market. His market value is 18 million euros, according to the Tranfermarkt portal, and clubs such as Real Sociedad have shown interest. With the statistics in hand, at the Camp Nou they thought he could be a replaceable piece. But Xavi opposed it. The coach, who has already lost Piqué, retired in November, does not want to get rid of any other piece of the dressing room. And even less knowing, as he knows, that no one will be signed in his place because there is neither money nor salary margin. “Taking into account the conditions, Xavi has already told us that he is happy with the staff he has,” they point out from the offices. Looking ahead to the summer, and aware that Barça’s chances of signing are slim – the limitations of the fair play will remain in force – the slogan is the same: Eric is not for sale.
However, the fact that Xavi has closed the door on Eric’s departure does not mean that the central Martorell becomes the undisputed starter. The forecast that the coaching staff is working with is that he will return to the team “progressively”. He played the whole game on Thursday in Ceuta but on Sunday, in Getafe, he could return to the bench at the start – it will depend on Araujo, who ended up playing against Real Madrid. “He is and will be an important player”, insists thestaff, coinciding with what the technician said in the press conference. In the dressing room they avoid adding pressure to the player, point out that the performance of Christensen, Kounde and Araujo in recent games is more than remarkable and remember that the season is long enough for “everyone to have quality minutes”.
