‘I'll be the first to go’ – Barcelona veteran makes promise


Barcelona veteran Jordi Alba has insisted he will have absolutely no problem walking away from the Camp Nou if he is deemed surplus to requirements at the club.

The Catalans have already waved goodbye to Gerard Pique this season, with the 35-year-old opting to call time on his Barcelona career midway through the 2022-23 campaign.

There has been speculation that Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets could follow Pique out of the exit door, and the left-back has told Cadena SER he’ll be happy to leave if he thinks he can no longer help the club.

“I have always trusted myself and I know what I can give. When I am not there to play for Barcelona, ​​I will be the first to leave. I have improved a lot compared to when I arrived,” he said. “Many things were told about my decision at the club, but I decided to stay. My intention is to stay until the end of my contract because I think I can help, when I don’t I’ll be the first to go.”

Alba also opened up on Pique’s shock exit and admitted he was surprised not by the defender’s decision to hang up his boots but the timing of his announcement.

Pique received an emotional send off at the Camp Nou in his final Camp Nou game as a Barcelona player in a 2-0 win over Almeria. The defender was in the squad for Barca’s next match against Osasuna but was named on the bench and sent off at half-time without playing a single minute.
Alba Talks Xavi

Alba may be determined to see out his Barcelona contract but will have to convince Xavi of his worth. The manager has shown already this season he’s not afraid to bench Alba in favor of youngster Alejandro Balde.

Alba played alongside Xavi before he moved into coaching and says the duo have a different relationship now. The defender also thinks the boss does have Barca heading in the right direction after a couple of difficult seasons.

“I’m very good with Xavi, although it’s a different relationship from what we had before because now he’s my coach. The idea of ​​the game is very good and we’re on the right track,” he added. “Before we had many very special players who didn’t lose the ball, and now the teams are physically better and it costs more to maintain possession. 

We won against Osasuna without having the ball. We’re not always going to win with the ball and play beautifully, let’s be clear.”

The Barcelona defender is currently at the World Cup with Spain and preparing for an opening match against Costa Rica on Wednesday, November 23.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Barcelona's midfielder Gavi looks on during the Copa del Rey

Image
The frenetic last days of European soccer’s midseason player trading market — that whirlwind of spending and sales known as the January transfer window — are always full of drama. Rumors fly. Deals are made. For most clubs, the final hours, which arrived Tuesday, are spent engaged in last-minute haggling over the prices for new players. At FC Barcelona, the Spanish club trapped in a yearslong financial crisis, the close of this year’s window was even stranger than usual: While most of its rivals scoured the market for players, Barcelona went to court to keep hold of one of its own. The crisis was of the club’s own making. Having spent heavily on new talent last summer despite repeated warnings that its spending violated league cost controls, Barcelona was told by the Spanish league that it could not register any new players until it could find savings or new revenues. That did not stop the team from offering a new contract to Gavi, a prodigiously talented teenager who is one of the clu...
Read more

It is a must-win contest for the Catalans as they look to maintain their healthy five-point lead

Image
After an eventful end to the transfer deadline day, Barcelona will look to focus on their affairs on the pitch as they take on Real Betis tonight. It is a must-win contest for the Catalans as they look to maintain their healthy five-point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the league table. After an eventful end to the transfer deadline day, Barcelona will look to focus on their affairs on the pitch as they take on Real Betis tonight. It is a must-win contest for the Catalans as they look to maintain their healthy five-point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the league table. The club have performed exceedingly well since the turn of the year. But ahead of a tough February schedule, they must proceed with caution, especially with a host of players already running the risk of suspension in the upcoming game against Sevilla in the event of a booking versus Real Betis. There are, in fact, four Barcelona players that could face suspension against Sevilla if they ...
Read more

Barcelona youngster confirms his decision to stay at the club: “Want to learn with the best”

Image
Pablo Torre was one of the first signings by Barcelona in the summer transfer window, but it largely went under the radar. Coming from Racing Santandar, he was expected to play for Barcelona Atletic, while getting a few minutes for the senior team every once in a while. His adaption to the club was tough, though, as he refused to play for the reserves side for a few weeks running. Torre was adamant to get minutes for the first-team but often found himself sitting on the bench as an unused substitute. Things started changing over the last month or so, when the Spaniard realised he will likely not get enough minutes under Xavi. Eventually, he made his debut for Barça Atletic, and soon got the chance to debut in the Champions League vs Viktora Plzen. Torre also scored his first goal for the club in the return fixture against the Czech side, but had to be substituted off due to an injury. Now much more in sync with the institution, despite not getting enough game-time, he opened up about h...
Read more