Exclusive: Barcelona executives believe team would have won UCL last season with summer arrival’s presence | OneFootball

As told to Barca Universal exclusively by journalist Adrian Sanchez, there is a growing sense of conviction within Barcelona that last season’s UEFA Champions League campaign could have ended very differently. 

As such, several senior figures within the club believe that, with the same squad and just one targeted addition, namely Joan Garcia, Barça had everything required to lift Europe’s biggest prize.

One of the biggest factors that grabbed the attention last season at Barcelona was the goalkeeping situation. 

Barcelona were forced to spend most of the season without Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who spent a large part of the campaign sidelined through injury. 

To their credit, the club brought in Wojciech Szczęsny as a short-term solution. Szczęsny’s experience and professionalism were valued, and he provided stability during a difficult period. 

However, the situation was far from ideal, as he arrived mid-season, had limited time to fully adapt to Barça’s style of play, and was stepping into a system that demands exceptional comfort on the ball.

Where Joan would have been important

The Barcelona leadership is completely impressed with Joan Garcia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

This is where the internal conversation increasingly circles around Joan Garcia. 

Executives believe that had Barcelona entered the season with the same squad plus Garcia, fully integrated from the start, the margins that decided the semi-final against Inter might have swung in their favour. 

The belief is not about blaming individuals, but about recognising how critical continuity and preparation are at the highest level.

The feeling inside the club is that Barcelona were not outsiders punching above their weight – they were genuine contenders who fell just short.

Right now, the growing sense of conviction is that if the Spanish goalkeeper had arrived a season earlier, the team would have gotten past the Champions League semi-final against Inter, a match where they were considered favourites.