Spain goalkeeper Joan García gave an exclusive interview to Mundo Deportivo during the national team training camp. This is the second part of the interview.
Related Reading
【Joan García: Barcelona's aggressive style inherently carries risks, but it's completely worth it】
【Joan García: Whether it's me or Raya, seeing Unai win feels like a personal victory】
Regarding the huge tactical risks you just mentioned, how exactly do you cope with them psychologically during daily matches?
My mindset is very good, completely without problems. In that moment on the field during a match, your mind doesn't have the luxury to overthink those so-called potential risks. Your only thought is to focus all your attention on how to perfectly handle every possession and defensive positioning in front of you.
While statistically speaking, over a long season, there will certainly be situations on the field one day that I'm not entirely satisfied with or that involve mistakes, if you weigh all the actual offensive and defensive gains and losses, then undoubtedly, the number of dangerous scoring situations you resolve and save through high-pressure play will far exceed the number of mistakes you might make as a result. Therefore, on balance, it is clearly worth persevering.
Many outside observers often scrutinize and criticize Barcelona's defense. Public opinion generally praises Barcelona's attack from midfield to upfront, using highly complimentary words, but often portrays Barcelona's entire defense as the team's fatal weakness and "Achilles' heel." As the last line of defense for the team, how do you view and react to these outside criticisms of the defense?
No, I completely disagree with this view, I strongly disapprove of this outside narrative. Ultimately, in our current tactical style and system philosophy, defense is a collective task that must be shared by all 11 players on the team. Every player on the field is crucial in the defensive phase. If the attacking players upfront do not actively participate in defense and do not apply high-intensity pressure on the ball-carrier in the opponent's half, then the defense in the back will be completely passive, exposed to the opponent's counterattacks, which will force defenders into extremely difficult defensive decisions in every play.
Therefore, I believe it is crucial that the entire team is fully committed to defense, and the attacking players must strictly follow tactical requirements to complete the necessary pressing; as for the defensive players in the back, their situation is actually exactly the same as mine as a goalkeeper. Everyone is fighting and resolving dangerous situations at the extreme edge of very high risk, but all of this is completely worth it. So, the key is that everyone in the entire team must be integrated into the defensive chain, otherwise, the playing style and tactical vision we adhere to simply cannot function effectively.
So, in your opinion—because there's already intense public discussion about this, which is why I'm specifically asking you—Barcelona actually doesn't need to sign any defensive reinforcements in the upcoming winter transfer window. This is purely a tactical issue of team coordination, not solely a problem with individual defensive personnel, correct?
Fortunately, it's not my job to ultimately decide whether the team needs defensive reinforcements in the transfer market. However, with the current group of defenders we have, I believe we have fully demonstrated through our actual performance on the field that we are perfectly capable of showcasing an extremely high level of competitiveness. In fact, I am extremely satisfied and appreciative of all the performances from the defenders in front of me so far.
Regarding your point emphasizing and affirming the value of overall team collaboration, perhaps the recently concluded match was an excellent example? In that match, the team truly learned how to maturely control and close out an entire game. In the past, external critics often picked on Barcelona, saying, "Oh, this team always lacks the mature experience to win and close out tough matches; in the final stages of a game, the whole team still pushes forward wildly and aggressively without restraint." Can the second half of the game at the Cívitas Metropolitano, especially looking ahead—and particularly on the demanding stage of the Champions League knockout rounds—serve as a classic reference point for the team? I know you wouldn't endorse the entire team retreating blindly to defend, but in terms of learning how to stably close out a game, was that match extremely significant?
Yes, I completely agree. We are an extremely young team, and with the experience and accumulation from one real match after another, the entire team is genuinely learning and growing rapidly. Undoubtedly, in extremely brutal cup knockout formats like the Champions League, knowing how to switch between different strategies and play with different rhythms at different times within the same match is an extremely important key lesson. With the accumulation of matches, I believe our adaptability in this regard is constantly evolving.
At the same time, our entire team must always maintain clear heads, clearly knowing where our strengths lie and where we still have shortcomings. Take the match a few days ago, for example: I believe we firmly controlled the flow of the game from beginning to end, but the way we achieved control was based on absolute possession of the ball – in the last few minutes of the game as it neared its end, our entire team very maturely and steadily controlled possession.
Therefore, everyone must rationally and objectively recognize that in the minds of many ordinary external spectators, the so-called "closing out a game" often equates to the entire team retreating to defend deeply or stubbornly sticking to a defensive line. However, in fact, relying on this team's core possession-based philosophy and tactical intelligence to firmly keep possession of the ball is also a highly advanced and effective way to close out a game.
Before you knew it, it's already been a full year since you joined Barcelona. Outsiders see that you have completely established yourself. Looking back at this past year, how would you summarize and evaluate your performance?
It feels great. I believe that with time, both I personally and the entire team are steadily improving step by step, continuously gaining and accumulating experience in major competitions, and learning to properly handle many complex situations that we might not have been good at dealing with before. I think this positive growth trend is extremely valuable, and it will greatly benefit us in the long journey ahead.
In the past year, in which specific technical aspects do you feel you have made significant progress? In which areas do you feel you have truly transformed into a better goalkeeper?
I think ultimately, this past year I have been fully and deeply adapting to the team's unique playing style, constantly refining and polishing many details and aspects where we still need to improve.
As time has gone on, I've become more and more comfortable on the field, and I have a clearer and clearer understanding of where I can best support the team and where I don't need to force things. I know when to be decisive and take action, and when to observe calmly and hold my position. I believe all these mental and tactical transformations are part of the long learning process of a professional career, a journey of constantly expanding one's potential and continuously absorbing new knowledge, and I am full of desire to keep this growth momentum going.