José David Contreras stepped in front of Barcelona Sporting Club's latest noise and made his position clear: he is behind César Farías. On the eve of the LigaPro match against Universidad Católica, the 31-year-old goalkeeper praised his coach's experience and said Barcelona must keep fighting for three points.
Contreras said Farías has “a lot of experience” and has already handled this kind of match. He also said Barcelona are a team that “never gives up,” adding that he expects that spirit to show again in the 21st matchday meeting. For a club that still wants to stay in the race near the top of the table, that message landed at the right moment.
The comments matter because they came from one of Barcelona's most used players this season. Contreras has played 47 matches for the club, allowed 45 goals and kept 18 clean sheets, numbers that make him central to the side's push to recover ground and, longer term, return to competing in the Libertadores in 2027. He is also 1.90 meters tall, has received seven yellow cards and no red cards, and has been one of the first-half standouts in goal.
There is another reason his words drew attention. Contreras is attracting interest from Brazilian clubs, with Internacional de Porto Alegre reportedly making an offer and Botafogo also said to be watching him. Transfermarket places his value at around one million dollars, but Barcelona has not said whether it will accept any move. That leaves the club trying to hold its footing on the field while the market closes in around a goalkeeper it may not want to lose.
Contreras tried to narrow the focus back to the match, saying Barcelona are not looking too much at the standings. He noted that Independiente del Valle is already far ahead of them in points, but said the team is concentrating on its own work and on taking three points. That is the reality Barcelona now lives with: a title chase that is still alive, a coach under public backing from his goalkeeper, and a transfer decision that could become louder after the final whistle.
