Jordi Cruyff may have reinvented one of Barcelona’s most reviled players. The Catalans beat Elche yesterday (Saturday) 0:4, in a game in which Eric Garcia excelled in the midfield.
Garcia, who mostly functioned as a stopper and was criticized for his ability, completed 51 of 57 passes and 5 long balls. He has been widely praised in Spain, and may find himself deployed more times in the role given the injuries to Frankie de Jong and Pedri and the age of Sergio Busquets.
“He starts on the opposite path to that of Javier Mascherano,” they wrote in “Mundo Deportivo“The Catalan. “Jordi Cruyff knows what he is doing and understands the game at a very high level. Maybe he saved his career at Barca.”
Xavi He himself gave the credit to the professional manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv and his former coach: “Playing with Eric Garcia as a midfielder was Jordi Cruyff’s idea. We may have a great midfielder now in the team.”
“Cruyff saw Erik Garcia play as a full-back last year, we tried it for two months and he had a great game. He might become a full-time full-back,” continued Xavi.
Cruyff, who was the professional director of Maccabi Tel Aviv between 2012 and 2017 and a coach in 2017/18, serves as a sports consultant in Barcelona and one of the seniors in the scouting system. Now Xavi has testified that he is also involved in professional decisions, and apparently for the better.
Cruyff, by the way, will meet with Anso Fati’s father later this week. Patti’s father, as I remember, reacted strongly to his son’s lack of minutes.