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Exclusive: “He has to be Spain’s number one goalkeeper”: Oriol Hontangas, Joan Garcia’s first coach
Joan Garcia's debut season at Barcelona has put him directly in line to take Spain's number one shirt at the World Cup. His first coach explains why.
Header image via FC Barcelona
In a World Cup year, and in a national team fresh from winning the Euros, it felt almost impossible for doubts to exist around squad selection. Spain seemed settled, stable, unquestioned. And yet Joan Garcia has forced a conversation no one expected to have. With a season behind him that has shaken the existing structure of the Spain goalkeeper department, he has emerged not as a surprise, but with the aura of someone who feels almost chosen for the role.
Garcia's journey began in Sallent, a small Catalan town where football is played without expectation. But expectation found him early. At just eight years old, he was scouted by CE Manresa - the club that gathered the best young players in the region - and even among that select group, Garcia stood out immediately. Not because he was the biggest or the loudest, but because he already carried himself like a goalkeeper and because he always wore a smile from ear to ear.
When Garcia arrived at CE Manresa in 2009, he was unmistakably different. His first coach, Oriol Hontangas - speaking exclusively with Goalkeeper.com - still remembers the shock of seeing an eight-year-old command a defence as if he had been doing it for years.
“He wasn’t like the rest,” Hontangas says. “He already had things you don’t normally see. He commanded his teammates, positioned himself well, had incredible reflexes. You could see he was different.”
Most children that age are still learning where to stand. Joan was already shaping the game around him. He organised, anticipated, and carried himself with a maturity that felt out of place on a primary-school pitch.
“What I remember most is how Joan always showed up with a smile, always eager to learn, always listening and ready to help. He was incredibly polite and mature for his age. You could see he had both the attitude and the aptitude”- and that, he says, is all because of the family behind him.
His parents, Jerónimo (or “Momo,” as Hontangas calls him) and Tere, were humble, close-knit, and always approachable; the kind of people you could talk to about anything. Polite, warm, and always wearing a smile, they set the example Joan followed. “A young child is a mirror of their parents, and Joan’s humility and work ethic are a reflection of that home environment.”
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Joan’s talent caught Espanyol’s attention at an early age, and he joined their academy in 2016, quickly making an impression with his maturity and skill. He made his first-team debut on December 1, 2021, in a Copa del Rey match against SD Solares-Medio Cudeyo, helping his team to a 2–3 victory. In January 2022, he made his LaLiga debut against Elche CF, where he conceded two goals in less than 15 minutes - a harsh introduction to the top flight. Things got even harder in his second match, when he made an uncharacteristic mistake, coming off his line at the wrong moment and, as only goalkeepers do, was left alone to shoulder the blame.
“Even after a tough start at Espanyol, with a few mistakes, Joan showed perseverance and the determination to never give up until he achieved his goals,” says Hontangas. “For any other goalkeeper, those early errors might have weighed heavily, especially in such a high-pressure position. But Joan kept believing, kept working, and when the next opportunity came, he didn’t let it go to waste.”
As Hontangas says, Joan came back fighting and, in the 2023/24 season, established himself as Espanyol’s first-choice keeper, playing a key role in their return to LaLiga.
After just one season in the top flight - where he was often considered the best in his position - people were already wondering why he hadn’t been called up by the national team. That conversation grew even louder when he signed for Espanyol’s biggest rival, FC Barcelona. Both Barça and Hansi Flick immediately stated he would be their number one. Joan quickly justified their faith with a string of outstanding performances, none more impressive than his display against his former club, Espanyol.
Hontangas points to that game as a true reflection of Joan’s character: “That game against Espanyol showed exactly who he is: a humble, hard-working person who doesn’t get distracted by outside noise. He trusts his own abilities and just plays his game. I’m sure it was a tough match for him psychologically - he cares for Espanyol, a club that gave him his first big opportunity, and the rivalry with Barça adds pressure. But Joan simply went out, played his football, and proved his quality. I congratulated him after the match and he replied - it was a game where he showed what a great goalkeeper he is.”
Joan’s perseverance was also clear in his first real setback at Barça. After an outstanding start, he suffered an injury that kept him out for a month, but that only seemed to make him stronger. On his return, he continued to secure Barça’s goal at the highest level, helping the team lead the league and playing a crucial role in winning his first title with the club: the Supercopa de España against Real Madrid.
“That’s why I think he should be the starting goalkeeper for Spain at the World Cup,” Hontangas says with conviction. “Of course, there’s competition with Unai, Remiro, and Raya, but right now, in terms of performance, Joan is one of the best in Europe, maybe even the world.”
And yet, for all his impact, Joan Garcia remains uncapped by Spain. With every match, each commanding performance and spectacular save, the debate intensifies. The goalkeeper position is unique, and making a change is never taken lightly. Still, across Spanish media, pundits on radio and television have begun repeating the same message: Unai Simón hasn’t done anything wrong, but sometimes a chosen one appears, and Spain can’t afford to leave him out of the World Cup.
Hontangas, who has watched Joan’s journey from the very beginning, adds his own voice to the chorus: “I won’t pretend to be objective, because I know him and I care about him, but the Spain goal should be Joan’s. We’ll see how everyone arrives at the World Cup.”
For the coach, simply watching Joan defend the goal at Barcelona is already an honour. But he believes Joan’s career still has room to reach even greater heights, built on the same qualities he recognised from the very beginning: perseverance and quiet, consistent dedication. “Even at eight years old, he was never egocentric. Most children, after a great match, would say, ‘I played brilliantly!’ Joan was different. He never focused on that. His reaction was always the same: to keep working.”
It is this journey, defined by humility and relentless effort, that continues to shape Joan’s path, with a place in the Spain goal perhaps closer than ever.