Accompanied by his father, Miguel Alba and his brother David, Jordi Alba explained in Igualada the reasons that led him to leave FC Barcelona after eleven years defending the first team shirt, taking advantage of the presentation of the Campus Jordi Alba to be held in July . “It was a thoughtful decision. I wanted to fulfill my contract but being honest with myself and with the club I think the best thing for me was to leave. Hopefully on Sunday I can say goodbye to the people, I have always felt very loved by the fans. It is not easy because He had been in the first team for 11 years and seven in the quarry”, he reflected.
A meal with the president Joan Laporta and a conversation with Xavi Hernández made the footballer reflect. And on Monday night, although he had one more year left on his contract, he decided to end his stage as a FC Barcelona footballer. He first communicated it to the technician who perfectly understood his decision. “The relationship with the coach and with the president is exceptional. Not everything has been rosy but I am leaving with my head held high knowing that I have given everything. It has been a very thoughtful decision”.
This Sunday against Mallorca Jordi Alba will play his last game at the Camp Nou just like Sergio Busquets. Both captains will follow in the footsteps of Gerard Piqué, who left in January. “I have always gotten along very well with the fans, I want to say goodbye well”, he stressed.
In this way, FC Barcelona says goodbye to the course without three of the four captains who marked an era in the Barcelona team. “It is really the beginning of a new eraâ€, emphasize sources from the Barcelona club. Ter Stegen is the only footballer who remains in the squad of the 14 players who participated in the last Champions League final won by Barça, in June 2015 in Berlin against Juventus. Also Sergi Roberto, who was called up but did not play.
Alba’s decision, who is leaving the club after eleven seasons in which he has won 18 titles, played 458 games and scored 27 goals and 99 assists, is based on two main reasons. The first is sports. He knew that he was not going to be the protagonist. “I have made this decision because it was the best for me. I have always wanted to stay but the years go by and my role was more secondary. Today I have nothing,” he said.
Last year the coach Xavi Hernández already warned him, who found the perfect replacement in Alejandro Balde. The club, in need of financial fair play, also tried to find a way out for him and received interest from Inter Milan in the last days of the market. He tried to give in but Alba insisted on staying. “I would like to say more but I am not going to. I like that they go to my face â€, an annoying Jordi Alba pointed out then.
The second reason that has prompted the L’Hospitalet side to leave is economic. Two weeks ago his agents met with the football director, Mateu Alemany, and also with Jordi Cruyff. In the conversation, the agents stated Alba’s intentions to fulfill her contract until June 2024. They were summoned to continue talking since the board wanted to propose a salary reduction.
It was not necessary. It was last Tuesday at the Sushi 99 restaurant in the upper area of ​​Barcelona when Jordi Alba met with President Joan Laporta and his right-hand man, Alejandro EchevarrÃa, to eat. The meeting, according to sources around the footballer, had been pending for a few weeks. There was good harmony, and although the president did not mention the exit concept, they did talk about the economic problems of the entity. The departure of Sergio Busquets, who had already announced that he was leaving, and the achievement of the League title finished convincing the side that his time at the club was over. The winger will stop collecting a good part of his remaining season token but he will receive the amounts that he had deferred, some 20 million euros gross. Sources from the Barcelona club assure that after his departure and that of Sergio Busquets, who will celebrate a farewell ceremony next Wednesday on the Camp Nou green where he hopes to announce his future, it will now be possible to register Gavi and Araújo when LaLiga gives the green light to the feasibility plan presented.
“I will miss running the band at the Camp Nou a lot, feeling the affection of the fans. Who would have told that 9-year-old boy that he was going to achieve so much with the club of his life, â€explained Jordi Alba in his farewell video for the entity. On Sunday his farewell will continue but on the Camp Nou pitch.
