Barcelona star reveals how Hansi Flick convinced him not to leave

On Saturday, Barcelona return to action with a Catalan derby, as they face Girona at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The match will be a special one for Eric Garcia, who will face the club he previously played for during the 2023-24 season.

And ahead of that match, Eric has spoken to Sport on his former club. He reflected on his time at Montilivi, which was a massive success for all parties.

“I spent an amazing year there. We had a season that will go down in history, qualifying Girona for the Champions League. I think we had an incredible team, also on a human level. Míchel helped me a lot in my career. I tell them this many times and I wish them all the best.”

Eric also believes that Michel’s influence is a big reason for him now being a very important player at Barcelona.

“A large part of it is because of him and I already told him at the time, he trusted me when maybe there were many people who maybe didn’t trust me and he gave me that confidence, that opportunity to continue growing and continue improving. He’s a very strict coach; he teaches you a lot of video to improve and I think it was very important for me.”

Eric: “Staying at Barcelona was the right decision”

Eric, who has attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain of late, was also quizzed on Girona’s continued pursuit of re-signing him.

“Last season there was a moment when I wasn’t getting many minutes. Obviously I had the option of returning to Girona, I knew Michel was there. In the end, I think the right decision was made.”

Eric also opened up on talks with Flick, who was the catalyst to keeping him at Barcelona last season. He also believes that his ability to play in multiple positions played a part in his manager’s decision.

“I think the match that changed everything was against Benfica, because the transfer market was still open at that time. That match kind of turned things around. It’s true that during that period, I got more playing time. Against Benfica, I came on and scored, and the team managed to come back. There are matches, you don’t exactly know why, but they change the game a bit, and I think that’s when I learned to seize opportunities and gain the coach’s trust.

“I think (being versatile is) very important for a player. The more positions you can play, the better. On the bench, you can cover several roles, and if you play, you can also finish the match in different positions. It’s a good thing, and maybe it was unexpected and I didn’t imagine it, but in the end, it’s an advantage.”