'I knew what was coming' - Joan Garcia not worried about Barcelona registration trouble and explains why he chose La Liga champions over other offers

La Liga giants Barcelona signed goalkeeper Garcia from bitter rivals Espanyol for €25 million (£22m/$29m) this summer. However, the club were unable to register him for La Liga due to non-compliance with the federation’s financial regulations, leaving the player on standby. With Marc-Andre ter Stegen sidelined for around four months through injury, Barcelona have now obtained the necessary approval from La Liga to register Garcia in time for the season opener.

Garcia was among the top-performing goalkeepers in La Liga last season, and with Barcelona seeking a long-term replacement for Ter Stegen, they identified him as the ideal successor. He was fully aware of the registration challenges the club faced, as Barcelona had been dealing with such issues since last season and even had to fight in court to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, managing to do so only at the very end of the campaign despite La Liga sanctions.

“When I signed, I already knew what was coming. I was and am ready to face it, and I'm calm. I've been calm all this time, and I still am. That's what they tell me: calmness, that everything will turn out well, and I have confidence in them.” he told Mundo Deportivo.

"I never had any doubts about my future or my sporting side. Obviously, coming from Espanyol, there are a few more doubts, but I didn't have any on the sporting side.

"Many names and many teams come up, but it's not always like that. It's true that there was interest from other teams, but in the end, there was nothing like what Barca offered me on a sporting level and in terms of what they have built, the young team they have, with the potential to win everything. There was nothing, and in that sense, I had no doubts."

Garcia received a lot of offers from other clubs but he was won over by sporting director Deco after he presented the project which consisted of a very good economic offer along with chance of playing with a young team full of quality.

“Above all, the project there is, the team there, so young, with so much quality. And they made me feel they truly loved me. They made a significant financial commitment that many teams probably wouldn't have made. So I felt they truly loved me, that it was a commitment they were making with great determination. And that's very important for a player. Feeling loved and truly loved is very important to me,” he said.

Garcia will be ready for action as Barcelona have finally been able to register the Spanish goalkeeper in time for their La Liga opener this week.