Eric Garcia was crystal clear about who should lift the Ballon d'Or next on October 26 in London. The Barcelona defender, speaking on the Cadena SER program "Què t'hi jugues!", firmly backed three Barcelona players for the award, naming Yamal as his top pick. "In my opinion, the top three should all be Barcelona players. Yamal should win the award. It's incredible that Pedri and Raphinha aren't in the top three," he said.

He also expanded his list of deserving candidates, believing several other teammates merit recognition: "Cubarsí — who made the 30-man list — Dani (Olmo) and Fermín should also be there, but I still think Yamal should win." When asked for his top three favorites, he didn't hesitate: "Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Raphinha."

The Versatile Defender's Evolution

As a key player for the team, Flick has played a crucial role in Garcia's recent development. "My first year I didn't play much, but he gave me confidence. Against Benfica (January 21, 2025), I came on as a substitute and scored, then I got injured, and when I returned, he showed me great faith," he recalled. This season, he's been a starter in all four matches as a right-back, but he's also capable of playing in other positions: center-back and defensive midfield. "I always played center-back, but after my loan spell at Girona, I felt comfortable at full-back too. I like this position," he said. Looking ahead, he even joked that he's asked the German coach to try him elsewhere: "I told him, 'one day let me play as a striker.'"

His teammates voted him into the captain's group, and he also spoke about this season's objectives. Barcelona have started the campaign with high hopes, and he believes the team is ready to compete for all trophies, particularly mentioning the Champions League. "For the last two years, we've always been just a bit short — it's always about small details. Now we have a complete squad with high quality, the Champions League has to be our target," he said.

The defender also commented on the quality of new signings and Flick's demanding training standards. "The training quality is very high," he said. "Antony (Gordon) and Karim (Adeyemi) bring something different and both are very experienced. Karim always wants the ball in behind, Gabriel will help too, and Rodri in midfield — well, I don't need to say much more, everyone knows him. They're all top-level signings," he added.

During the Cadena SER interview, the conversation also turned to Ferran Torres. Ferran joined Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and PSG will face Barcelona in the Champions League group stage this season, with a match scheduled for October 20. Eric said he's remained friends with him. "I spoke with Ferran today. He's happy and looking forward to us playing in Paris. We'll have some banter. We're friends," he explained.

The interview had lighter moments too. Due to a recent injury at Valencia and a deviated septum, Eric needs to wear a protective nose mask for the next two months. He jokingly described himself as a "Zorro or Batman" hybrid. As Barcelona pursue all the trophies, Eric Garcia heads into the season with increased importance both on and off the pitch: Flick's captain and versatile defender.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com