“You had to be alert. If he is out, then you have to...” Alvaro Arbeloa’s instruction to Fran Garcia ahead of the battle at the Etihad sums up the starting point well. A simple message, but one loaded with context. Because up until that moment, the fullback had barely featured.

Until then, his season had unfolded in an almost permanent background role. Only 14 minutes in the Champions League and no minutes in La Liga since the arrival of the coach from Salamanca. He was, in fact, the least-used outfield player. A situation that pushed the player to seriously consider leaving in the winter transfer window.

The destination was clear: Bournemouth. Fran even said goodbye to his teammates, closing a chapter he felt was over. But the move fell through at the last moment. The club halted his departure and left an image at Valdebebas as unusual as it was revealing: the next day, back in the locker room, some teammates could not hide their surprise.

“What are you doing here?” several players asked themselves in the face of a return no one expected. Far from crumbling, Fran opted for the only thing left to him. To persist and start over. Again.

It was not the first time this season he had to do so. He started strong in the Club World Cup under Xabi Alonso, but little by little, he lost prominence. The competition in his position pushed him toward a residual role. Always behind Carreras, an almost always-injured Mendy, and even Camavinga at fullback. Injuries opened a crack… and Fran knew how to take advantage.

Three consecutive starts have changed his situation. Not only because of the continuity, but also because of what he transmits on the field. Plenty of energy, tactical discipline, and physical capacity that meet the demands of the new system.

“For a player, it is very important to have continuity and feel confident. I hadn’t had that during this season. Now I feel good, eager, and strong to keep working and help the team,” the player himself acknowledges.

His coach has also wanted to highlight something less visible but equally important: the attitude. “I can only thank him. When you don’t play, it’s hard to train the way he does; he never shows a bad face. I wish there were 25 Fran Garcias on the team,” he says. In footballing terms, his growth is also explained by his adaptation to the new formation.

Fran has known how to interpret the movements that seek to free up Vinicius, alternating his presence on the inside with constant work in defense. A demanding role that finds meaning in his physical profile. Fran is one of the players with the lowest body fat percentage on the team and a regular top performer in internal testing.

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