[7] After not being able to help the Verdiblancos return to the top flight he rejoined Almería,[8] being first-choice under new manager Juan Manuel Lillo and both his successors José Luis Oltra and Roberto Olabe, scoring once[9] in 33 games as they were eventually relegated after a four-year stay.

[11] In his first season he was teamed up in the centre of defence with Eitan Tibi, with the pair performing solidly as the club won the national championship after a ten-year drought.

[15][16] In the domestic front he was part of the squad that set a new league record for minutes without conceding a goal, surpassing Hapoel Haifa FC's 585 from 1999.

[18] Immediately after, he returned to Maccabi as assistant to his compatriot Jordi Cruyff;[19] the pair worked together again in the Chinese Super League, at Chongqing Dangdai Lifan F.C.

[24] García was part of the Spain under-16 squad at the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Championship in England, winning the tournament alongside top scorer Fernando Torres.