Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Athletic Club at the renovated Spotify Camp Nou felt like more than just a strong performance, as reported by SoftFootball. It also marked a defining moment for Eric García, who impressed in an unusual defensive midfield role.
The victory came at an important time for the club, with the stadium’s return also highlighted as crucial for Barcelona’s financial stability. The match gave García another chance to show his evolution under Hansi Flick.
With key midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Pedri out, Flick trusted him in the pivot role, and the defender delivered a calm, disciplined display that earned applause from supporters.
Flick made his admiration clear after the final whistle. He wanted people to understand how special García’s development has been before sharing his words, which were shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account.
Fabrizio Romano posted:
Hansi Flick: We are working on Eric García’s renewal.
We can all see how much Eric has improved and how confident he looks. He’s playing at fantastic level.
To have Eric is fantastic for a coach, he plays at high level in several positions.
The manager also confirmed the club’s intention to keep the player long-term. He emphasised that García’s growth is one of the biggest positives of the season. Flick believes the talks are progressing well, and his public support underlines how important García has become.
García himself has had a complicated journey. Once written off by previous managers, he rebuilt confidence during a loan at Girona and returned sharper, more aggressive and more tactically aware.
Flick has used him at centre-back, right-back and now as a midfielder, praising how quickly he adapts and how reliable he has become in games with high pressure.
Barcelona’s sporting direction has considered selling the defender to raise funds, but Flick’s influence appears to be shifting the decision.
With interest from Girona, Tottenham and Real Sociedad still alive, the club now looks more determined to keep a player who fits the coach’s ideas. García is also said to be happy at Barcelona and ready to commit to a longer stay.
For Barcelona, the night was about more than just a four-goal win. It strengthened belief in a young player who is finally showing why he was brought back from Manchester City, and it highlighted a coach building trust through consistency, clarity and confidence in his squad.
