The World Cup is over and the current football news is all about the return of the main European domestic competitions. Barcelona will kick off on the 31st against Espanyol.
Eric Garcia took the opportunity to review the current situation at the Catalan giants ahead of the derby: "For those of us who have been at La Masia since we were kids, the most important game of the season was against Espanyol".
The centre-back also mentioned Messi, whom he praised: "When I came here I said I could finally see Messi and he just left. He's the best I've ever seen, he's shown in the World Cup the physical level he has. Having a player like him can never condition you".
And he did not hesitate to defend his team-mate Ansu Fati, who is not getting too much playing time: "In the World Cup training sessions I saw him with a different spark, the one he has always had, and these days here too, with that special something".
Finally, he had a few words for his former team-mate Gerard Pique: "He is missed. He is a different player and a different person. He has the ability to make a joke and in three minutes he can play a great game. He's the only one I see capable of doing that. On the pitch he changes his mind very quickly".