Joan Garcia's metamorphosis: "It has no limits, it will mark an era."

BarcelonaIn the second part in Vallecas, with Rayo drowning Barça, Joan Garcia made a great save in Isi Palazón And the Madrid team's forward stared at him in disbelief. The Murcia native's face epitomizes the mood of a helpless stadium. The Catalan goalkeeper had his first great game as a Barça player and will take advantage of these days to unwind, although he knows that getting back into the swing of things with the Spanish national team is only a matter of time and that will cut into his free time. The rest also serves to recover from the pain associated with the scare he suffered during the warm-up at the Mallorca stadium. The discomfort in the little finger of his left hand will linger for a few more weeks.

With the evolution of modern football, a goalkeeper needs to adapt to the style of his new team just as much as an outfield player. And Joan Garcia has done so quickly. "He trains very well, absorbs information very quickly, and applies it to matches. Confidence in this area is vital; it goes hand in hand with personality. He believes in himself and has very high self-esteem," says Adri Caballero, goalkeeping coordinator at Espanyol's training center for seven seasons. García hasn't noticed a marked change in training, but he has heard that the physical demands have increased. "You can tell he's getting stronger," those close to him admit. In fact, he has recently incorporated training with a personal fitness trainer into his routine.

His influence in Vallecas isn't just explained by his performance between the posts. Joan has also proven to be a very brave goalkeeper when it comes to leaving the penalty area. In fact, of the five major European leagues, he is the one who is making the most defensive actions outside his area, with a total of six per game. Last season, as a Blanquiazul player, he didn't average one exit per match, while Iñaki Peña and Wojciech Szczęsny had the two best records in La Liga, with six and four, respectively. Without that determination, the defensive line wouldn't be able to be maintained so far.

The toll of professional football

In his debut for Espanyol, two errors in his exit helped Pere Milla's Elche side take the victory. In his second appearance with the first team, another poor exit prevented a win at Levante. "These are tolls he's had to pay for being where he is. But one of his strengths is his courage, he always tries again and doesn't get scared. Some people back down when they fail in the first attempt. Joan, no, he has incredible conviction and adapts to all situations, due to his mentality and approach," Caballero comments.

This is a hallmark that Hansi Flick demands of his goalkeepers: to be lively when coming out, whether leaving the box or rejecting crosses from the wing. "Joan hasn't found a coaching philosophy that's very different from Espanyol's. Flick is very focused on the goalkeepers; he likes to have everything under control. Dela [José Ramón de la Fuente] takes care of the day-to-day work, but Flick always keeps an eye on things. There's a lot of analytical work, video work," they say from the Joan Gamper Sports City. On many occasions, goalkeeping exits are even worked on in the pre-match warm-up.

Between the sticks, Joan Garcia has also proven to be a very secure goalkeeper. "He makes aggressive decisions from short distances, he covers a lot of space with his body," Caballero explains. In these first three games as a Barça player, he has already saved Barça from conceding two goals that, according to advanced statistics, were a given. In Vallecas, his role was crucial in ensuring the team didn't lose all three points.

A slow-burning formation

Despite the potential he had when he joined Espanyol during his youth career, it was one of the areas he improved upon. "He was very tall, but had poor coordination and was very thin; he needed to gain weight," Caballero recalls. "We had no idea where his ceiling was, but we knew he would explode at all costs," he adds. This summer, it wasn't easy for him to switch from Barça to Espanyol. And although some teammates publicly criticized his decision, more than one wished him luck for his new stage in what they had already described last season as "the best goalkeeper in La Liga."

Espanyol wasn't the only one who knew they had a gem developing. Four years ago, Liverpool placed him on an exclusive list as one of the goalkeepers with the greatest potential on the European stage. The other name in the Spanish league was Filip Jørgensen, then at Villarreal and later signed by Chelsea. Deco and Flick's commitment to Joan marks a turning point in goalkeeping. And those who know him know it's just the beginning. "His signing is a complete success: €25 million is very little for a goalkeeper of his level. He has no ceiling; he will mark an era," Caballero concludes.