Eric Garcia: Flick’s Faith, Cubarsi’s Brilliance and Why the Captain’s Armband Still Beckons

Barcelona defender Eric Garcia has offered an unflinching assessment of the club’s turbulent winter, insisting that Hansi Flick’s high-risk blueprint remains the correct path back to silverware while acknowledging that careless ball losses are “killing” the team’s momentum.

Speaking exclusively to Tot Costa on Catalunya Radio, the 24-year-old addressed back-to-back defeats to Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey and Girona in La Liga that cost Barça both the domestic lead and a first-leg semi-final advantage. Garcia revealed the squad held an emergency debrief with Flick on Thursday morning. “We wanted to talk about what happened. The way we lose, everything becomes magnified,” he said. “It has been a positive meeting and we all came away happy.”

The German coach’s insistence on a razor-thin defensive line has come under scrutiny after 23-24 league goals conceded and several high-score European nights, yet Garcia defended the methodology. “This style of play has led us to win four titles,” he reminded supporters. “The key is that opponents are creating more chances against us. Recently we are having many losses of possession that are killing us.”

Garcia believes the antidote is smarter game management. Citing Girona’s 15 first-half transitions, he argued that halving that number would restore balance. “If you come from a moment when the opponent has had possession for three minutes and you are struggling, perhaps you have to start calmly and push them back,” he explained.

The Catalan also dissected Atlético’s game plan: flooding the midfield and targeting the space behind advanced full-backs. “Almost everything were counter-attacks after our losses,” he noted. “If they win the ball back on the left, we have Balde who pushes forward more… they know that on the wings they can create more danger.”

Refereeing controversy surfaced when Pau Cubarsí’s legitimate-looking goal was scrubbed for a fractional prior foul. Garcia refused to inflame the issue but admitted bewilderment: “Seven minutes passed between whether they validated it or not. It seems crazy to me.”

On personal form, Garcia—who nearly joined Como in January—credits Flick’s versatility vote for keeping him in Catalonia. “There was a moment when it seemed I would leave and the match against Benfica changed everything. We came back, I scored and the next day I spoke with the coach.” The Spaniard now sees himself primarily as a centre-back but is ready to slot in at full-back or even midfield when required.

Garcia reserved special praise for two teammates. “Pau Cubarsí, at his age, is impressive. Ronald Araujo, I have always liked a lot, with his physique and incredible ability to recover the ball.”

Despite external noise, the La Masia graduate accepts Barça’s pressure-cooker environment. “Anyone can insult you on social media. If they insult you, it is because you are doing something right and you play for Barcelona,” he shrugged.

Looking ahead, Garcia believes the league is far from lost—“we depend on ourselves”—and predicts an early goal can flip the Copa tie against Atlético. He also confessed a long-term ambition: “This year I have had the fortune and the privilege of wearing the armband… I would like to be club captain one day.” For now, his priority is ensuring “people come to training happy” and that the dressing-room mood stays buoyant regardless of results.