Barcelona Prepare to Add Eric García to Captaincy Group

FC Barcelona’s dressing room hierarchy is entering another period of transition, and Eric García looks increasingly well placed to be part of whatever comes next. According to SPORT, the Martorell-born defender is gaining ground as a candidate to join the club’s official captaincy group.

García already wore the armband on several occasions last season, sometimes from kickoff, as in the 0-1 league win at San Mamés on March 7, and at other times after coming on, including the 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou, the 3-0 win over Mallorca, and the Champions League quarter-final win over the same Atlético side. None of those instances came with any of the club’s five official captains, Ter Stegen, Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha and Pedri, on the pitch.

With Ter Stegen now out on loan at Girona and no longer available to Hansi Flick, the club has an opening for a fifth captain. SPORT reports that Ronald Araujo is expected to move up to first captain, as happened when Ter Stegen initially left, with de Jong, Raphinha and Pedri retaining their places behind him. That leaves one spot to be filled, and García’s candidacy for that vacancy stems as much from his history at the club as his recent form.

García came through every level of Barcelona’s youth system as captain before leaving for Manchester City at 16, later returning to his boyhood club and enduring a loan spell at Girona before establishing himself under Flick. Over the past two seasons he has made 96 official appearances, 51 of them last season alone, more than any other player in the squad, starting 47 times across four different defensive positions. That workload also earned him a place in Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, where he came on in the 99th minute of the final.

Barcelona’s captains are chosen by the players themselves, typically based on years of service at the club, and no surprises are expected in that process. Should García be confirmed as the fifth captain, it would mark a rare instance of a graduate from the club’s youth academy joining the official leadership group as an adult, following Araujo’s expected elevation to first captain.