"The captaincy? That's a matter for the gaffer," says Eric Garcia

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen remains the centre of attention at Barcelona. The goalkeeper, currently sidelined with an injury but committed to the club, is the first-choice captain for the 'Azulgranas', although reports in the media suggest he may relinquish the armband this season. Eric Garcia was asked about the situation following the 'Cules' victory in their first pre-season friendly against Vissel Kobe.

"That's a matter for the gaffer," he stated. "I assume that when we return to Barcelona, the boss will address it. Last year it was a vote, I don't know how it will be this year, so we'll wait to return and see."

Regarding his own performance and role at right-back: "I'll try to help as much as possible wherever Flick needs me. I played there at Girona and I'm available wherever the boss needs me."

On the objectives for this season: "We know that last season was very good, but we can improve and we know it. We want the title that eluded us. If we want to have the same kind of season, we need to maintain the same intensity."

"The new signings are looking very good. We already knew Joan from La Liga. He's a fantastic goalkeeper and it's hard to score against him in training. Roony has been a real surprise these last few days and we all know how good Marcus is. I see a lot of quality among the youngsters," he concluded, referring to the debuts of the new additions.