Saturday, January 3, 2026, 8:24 p.m.
The day of the Catalan derby between Espanyol and Barça dawned differently in Barcelona. It has not been just another day in the city, and much less so for Joan García, who unwittingly became the emotional epicenter of a match marked by tension, memory and open wounds. However, the Barcelona goalkeeper, after receiving whistles, suffering insults, seeing bills with his face and stuffed rats thrown at him, as well as offensive banners, ended up becoming the best player of the match and the key to his team’s success.
His behavior was at all times respectful towards his club and his fans and he did not even celebrate any of the goals that Dani Olmo and Lewandowski scored in the final minutes and which meant the victory for Barcelona.
From the first hour, the atmosphere already anticipated that the match transcended purely football and that it was not going to be an easy day for the Barcelona goalkeeper. The first big whistle came from the Barcelona goalkeeper when he jumped out to warm up on the grass at the RCDE Stadium. The goalkeeper came out of the locker room tunnel between the cameras and the blue and white stadium erupted in a monumental whistle, despite not being full yet. The Barça goalkeeper headed to his goal and began the warm-up exercises with apparent calm and even flashing a smile after greeting someone.
There was a loud whistle when his name was announced on the video scoreboards in the Barcelona eleven and also when he touched the first ball in the match and every time he took part in the match. During the clash some fans were expected to throw stuffed mice onto the pitch. Some of these stuffed animals had already been seen around the stadium with a bill with Joan García’s face tied to their tails.
Two saving hands by Joan García
In the 13th minute, remembering the number that Joan García wore at Espanyol, the back of the RCDE Stadium where the cheer groups meet, displayed hundreds of cards on which there were drawn rats in Barcelona’s colors and messages that were not at all affectionate for the Barça team’s goalkeeper.
However, Joan García showed that he is a great goalkeeper and that he does not shy away from pressure and made a spectacular save to prevent Espanyol from taking the lead shortly before half-time. In the 39th minute, a precise cross by Carlos Romero from the left wing was headed in by Pere Milla from close range. The Barça goalkeeper, with almost no reaction time due to the closeness of the shot, showed a spectacular hand to touch the ball and deflect it when the entire stadium was singing the goal.
And in the second half, in the 63rd minute, he saved Barcelona again in a handball against Roberto. The striker was left alone in front of the goalkeeper after emerging from a double tackle by Koundé and Gerard Martín. He had only his teammate Dolan but he tried to dribble past Joan García, who reacted by putting in a saving hand to steal the ball from him.
‘Judas Garcia’
Shortly before the arrival of the Barcelona bus and around the RCDE Stadium, in addition to chants against the Barcelona goalkeeper, banners of all kinds against him could be seen. “You were one of us, you went to the biggest rival showing that your love for the club was not real,” said one of them, which someone embellished with the words, “no forgiveness, Judas and rat.”
Banknotes with the face of Joan García.
RC
Furthermore, on several lampposts on the way to the blue and white stadium, dollar bills with the face of Joan García and in which the phrase ‘Judas García’ appeared, signed by Barcelona originals.
Already in the morning, the streets of Barcelona dawned with blue and white winks, veiled messages and symbols of belonging to Espanyol. In an initiative of the Curva, the main and official entertainment group of the parakeet team, they have filled the marquees of Barcelona with advertising posters located throughout the city. Nearly 200 that have been placed in strategic places in the city such as in front of the Camp Nou and next to the Joan Gamper Sports City in Sant Joan Despí of the Barça team. These posters carried messages in Perica code, as shown in the photographs that are posted on the profile of X in La Grada.
Some of the posters with which Barcelona woke up.
RC
Last night a radical sector of the Espanyol fans already starred in a regrettable episode, which made it clear that for Joan García it was not going to be a calm derby. Several dozen parakeet ultras warmed up the derby with a denounceable chant: “We want Joan’s head.”
Espanyol, aware of the breeding ground that has been experienced throughout the week, in addition to reinforcing security measures on the field of play, such as the installation of nets behind the goals to prevent objects from being thrown at Joan García. In addition, he has sent several messages of calm and caution to his fans and made a statement this week in which he reminded fans of the sanctions they may face if they throw objects. Fines ranging from 150 to 650,000 euros if they disturb order or security during the match.
It is evident that Joan García’s departure hurt Espanyol fans a lot. Barcelona paid his termination clause of 25 million euros, when the perica fans expected the goalkeeper to agree to go to the Premier League instead of the eternal rival. A decision by Joan García that made Espanyol fans feel betrayed by a youth player who had become their idol.
