Joan Garcia Ignites Firestorm in Explosive Barcelona Debut
Among the most notable developments during Barcelona's pre-season opener was the situation involving Joan García. The surprise wasn't that the ex-Espanyol keeper made his Barcelona debut, but rather the jersey number he wore while doing so.
García is anticipated to guard the net when Barcelona kicks off their La Liga campaign with a trip to Mallorca on August 16. Nevertheless, García sparked considerable discussion when he appeared on the field during a weekend exhibition match against Vissel Kobe sporting the No.1 jersey.
For over a decade, Barcelona's No.1 has been the exclusive domain of the team's current skipper: Marc-André ter Stegen. García's summer acquisition seemed like a clear indication that the club was prepared to transition away from their established first-choice keeper. Nevertheless, Ter Stegen remains on Barcelona's roster.
"It's merely for the summer period," Hansi Flick explained to DAZN concerning García's jersey number. "All numbers are temporary for summer. Naturally, Pedri wears No. 8, Lamine [Yamal], I'm not certain, today he wore No. 10 and Raphinha had 11. These are only summer arrangements."
Despite potentially different motives, Flick's comments didn't clarify the situation given that the players he mentioned continued wearing those identical numbers during the 2024–25 campaign. The sole exception being Yamal, whom Barcelona officially announced as the new holder of the No. 10 jersey.
Ter Stegen is scheduled for back surgery in the upcoming days as previously reported. The German shot-stopper claimed he could return to action within three months, a significant factor given reports suggested Barcelona intended to offload 80% of his wages to register García, which is only possible if Ter Stegen remains sidelined for more than four months.
García's pre-season jersey number represents just another installment in the ongoing Ter Stegen situation at Barça that has persisted throughout the summer, one that appears far from resolution.
Victor Váldes previously held Barcelona's No.1 shirt before Ter Stegen arrived at the Catalan club. Following 11 years, another Catalan goalkeeper has joined Barça ready to assume control.
Flick might indeed be accurate and García could wear a different number when the 2025–26 season commences. Nevertheless, attention will be directed toward the number on García's jersey when Barça face Mallorca to determine if they've removed their club captain's number that he's worn since 2014–15.