‘I’ve felt the fans’ affection‘ — Barcelona star reacts after making his return vs Athletic Club following 2-month injury absence | OneFootball

FC Barcelona returned after the international break with an exceptional 4–0 win against Athletic Club. It marked a return to the Spotify Camp Nou for the Catalan club after 910 days in the wilderness and a nomadic experience.

Saturday night also saw the return of two players who had been injured for most of the past two months. Raphinha and Joan Garcia both suffered issues during the 3–1 win against Real Oviedo and finally made their comebacks.

Joan started, and it was no coincidence that his return between the posts led to Barcelona’s first clean sheet since September. The Spaniard even made a terrific save to keep the score level in the opening minutes of the game.

After the game, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Joan Garcia spoke about the love Barcelona fans showed him while he was injured. He said:

“I’ve felt the fans’ affection, I noticed it even during the time I was away. Although I am more happy about the victory.”

The 24-year-old also spoke about the joy of keeping a clean sheet, revealing that the team had been aiming for it for a while. He said:

“We’ve been trying to achieve this for a while, it’s true. We’ve changed a few things because every match is different. We have to continue working to keep more clean sheets in the upcoming matches.”

Finally, Joan was asked about Spain’s number one, Unai Simón, and whether he saw him as a rival. He said:

The importance of Joan returning ahead of the Chelsea game cannot be overstated. His quality should help Barcelona immensely at Stamford Bridge as Hansi Flick’s team looks to secure the three points on the night.

Let us hope Joan puts his physical issues behind him and continues to help Barcelona stay strong defensively in the coming weeks and months.