While admitting the need to remain ambitious, a Barcelona warned against crossing the line towards obsession.
Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia has warned the club against developing a toxic obsession with winning the UEFA Champions League.
The Spain international addressed the mounting continental expectations surrounding Hansi Flick’s squad during an interview with Mundo Deportivo.
What Garcia said
The former Espanyol shot stopper is currently in the Spain camp for the international break which would see them face Czech Republic and England where he was asked about Barcelona’s ambitions for the current season, specifically the Champions League.
“Evidently, it is an objective for us, equal to La Liga, the Copa, and the Supercopa,” Garcia stated, expressing confidence in the current roster while urging caution regarding their European mindset.
“I believe we have a team to compete and try to win all competitions, knowing the difficulty that entails. I see the team very motivated,” he explained.
“It is an objective, but it also does not have to become an obsession, because that can end up being negative. It remains an ambitious and demanding goal, and we have the desire to face it.”
The problem with obsession
Barcelona have not won the Champions League since defeating Juventus 3-1 in the 2015 final in Berlin, an eleven-year drought.
That hiatus created a desperation that crippled the institution in subsequent years. Past boards spent catastrophic sums on players like Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann in a frantic bid to conquer Europe.
That reckless spending plunged the club into a financial ruin which current president Joan Laporta described as “coma.”
Domestic success overlooked
The continental fixation continues to overshadow domestic dominance at the Camp Nou. Hansi Flick has delivered back-to-back LALIGA titles during the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns.
Despite that sustained league supremacy, sections of the fanbase remain unhappy with the lack of European silverware.
Garcia has experienced this demanding environment since joining from Espanyol for €25 million in June 2025.
The 25-year-old made eight saves during a 4-2 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on October 20, ha loss which ended Barcelona’s 100% start to the season, highlighting the difficulty of the competition.
