‘Anyone who has watched La Liga…’ – Barcelona superstar fires back at Real Madrid president Florentino Perez | OneFootball

Joan Garcia has become one of the most important figures at Barcelona, and after a dream debut season, the goalkeeper has now opened up on everything from the club’s Champions League ambitions to the recent comments made by Florentino Perez.

After helping Barcelona win both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in his first campaign at Spotify Camp Nou, the Spanish goalkeeper believes the club is moving in the right direction, but insists there is still work to do before they can conquer Europe again.

Barcelona have not lifted the Champions League since 2015, and despite coming close in recent seasons, the club continue searching for the consistency required to survive the biggest knockout nights.

“It would be a mistake to think it will happen on its own; that doesn’t happen. We have to keep working. 

“If we don’t improve the small details that are keeping us out of the knockout stages, it won’t happen. We also have to trust the process, in the maturity we are gaining,” he said as per MARCA.

Backing the Barcelona project

The Barcelona shot-stopper also stressed that the current squad already possesses enough quality to seriously compete for Europe’s biggest trophy.

Joan Garcia is confident of winning the Champions League. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

He said that the club’s youth squad is one of the biggest reasons for optimism moving forward.

“We’re a very young team. We still need to gain a lot of experience in the Champions League. Last year we came very close to the final, and this year we narrowly missed out on the semi-finals. 

“These are the kinds of experiences that will help us know how to play these sorts of matches in the future.”

Away from tactical matters, the Barcelona goalkeeper also praised the environment he found after arriving at the club, especially his relationship with veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

“(At Barça) Both the players and the coaching staff made it very easy for me. I felt very much at home right from the start.”

Garcia also revealed how important Hansi Flick was in convincing him to join Barcelona last summer.

Joan Garcia has responded to Florentino Perez. (Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images)

“When you make a decision like this, it’s very important for a player to see that the manager genuinely wants you, that he wants you in his team. 

“And that’s something I felt when I spoke to him, and it’s something that helps you when you take the plunge.”

On Florentino Perez

The interview then shifted towards the controversial comments made by Florentino Perez, who claimed refereeing decisions had cost Real Madrid between 16 and 18 points during the season.

Garcia did not hesitate to reject those claims, stating, “Anyone who has watched La Liga, every single match, knows that those words aren’t true. 

“We’re calm and happy with the Cup we were awarded after El Clasico.”