‘He’s a panther’ — Spain squad regular waxes lyrical about Barcelona compatriot who plays in the same position | OneFootball

Alex Remiro and Joan Garcia may be competing for a single spot in the Spain squad come the World Cup but the Real Sociedad number one could hardly have been more complimentary when speaking about his Spanish counterpart.

Both players are excellent goalkeepers in their own right and are causing a huge headache for Luis de la Fuente at the moment. Such has been the form of the Spanish goalies that the manager had to make an unprecedented decision of calling-up four shot-stoppers to the roster for the friendlies.

As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Remiro waxed lyrical about Joan Garcia. He said:

That is not casual praise. It is a goalkeeper with serious La Liga standing, describing Joan Garcia as an elite all-round presence, and doing so in a way that highlights far more than reflexes. There doesn’t seem to be a hint of competition between the two.

Goalkeepers at Barcelona are judged differently. They are asked to start attacks, survive under pressure, command the box and still produce big moments when the game turns chaotic. Joan seems to have the all round profile to contend with that.

The most striking part for Barcelona is the range of qualities Remiro picked out. He praised Garcia with the ball at his feet, his work as a pure shot-stopper, and his authority as a personality. Many of these aspects are huge strengths of Remiro’s games too.

It has been a long time since Barcelona had such a maverick inbetween the posts and he has shown that repeatedly throughout the course of this season. For all of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s talents when he came to the club, Joan seems to have a much higher ceiling.

It remains to be seen how Luis de la Fuente handles the goalkeeping dynamic and if Joan gets a debut in the upcoming friendlies.