Spain coach explains maiden inclusion of Barcelona star: ‘A tremendous player’ | OneFootball

Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia received his first-ever senior call-up to the Spain national team.

The inclusion comes as Spain prepare for upcoming international friendlies against Serbia and Egypt. 

For the Barcelona goalkeeper, this opportunity marks a significant step forward, and potentially the beginning of a much bigger role on the international stage.

However, competition will be fierce, as he joins an already strong goalkeeping group that includes Unai Simon, David Raya, and Alex Remiro. 

De la Fuente explains

Speaking to the media, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente explained the reasoning behind his decision to bring Garcia into the fold at this stage.

“It was the perfect time to have these great goalkeepers on the team. As of today, these are the four goalkeepers who could be called up for the World Cup. 

“It was very important that they were all together,” he said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

The manager also revealed, “Looking ahead to the World Cup, we’re going to see some different things, because it’s an unusual situation. 

“And this is one of them,” he said, suggesting that Spain could even consider naming four goalkeepers in their final squad.

Not a sudden decision

Joan Garcia has been called up for the national team duty. (Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images)

De la Fuente then provided further context on Garcia’s inclusion, making it clear that this was not a sudden decision but one based on long-term evaluation.

“Joan Garcia is a tremendous goalkeeper—we didn’t just discover him now. We’ve known him for a long time. He was an U-21 international with me.”

He went even further in his praise, explaining the belief he has in the Barcelona goalkeeper’s potential, stating, “He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”

More to the story

Explaining the reasons behind the call-up, De la Fuente added: 

“First, for team chemistry, because we know him personally, for his work ethic, professionalism, quality, and competitiveness… So that the others can bring out the best in themselves.”

Finally, De la Fuente dismissed any notion of pressure influencing his selections.

“There’s been no debate or pressure. We bring in the players we believe we need to bring in. 

“We’re professional and honest. We’re neither braver nor less brave for bringing him in.

“We’ve given it a lot of thought. It’s not a coin toss. Through team chemistry, training, high standards, and so on, they’ll get better, and that’s very good for us,” he concluded.