A late night show on the Camp Nou pitch. A movie set. An incomparable set. Perhaps the last major event that the Estadi hosted – construction begins this Wednesday – was the institutional farewell to Sergio Busquets Burgos, as he liked to remind us, that the B that appeared on the back of his shirt at the beginning was in honor of the father and mother. “It has been an honor, a privilege and a pride. This is not a goodbye but a see you later because we will surely meet again. Wherever he goes there will be a culé family supporting him, ”he said as an epilogue to his 15-year career, with 722 games and 32 titles with Barcelona.
The event, with the presenter Dani Martínez as master of ceremonies, served to discover the most personal and intimate, most human Busquets, the one whom his football and his influence on the game always covered (“He improved every play that went through him”, Luis Enrique defined him). To the administrator of the locker room WhatsApp group. Whom the comrades called police. “He is a frustrated policeman. I put it on”, confessed Xavi Hernández. The one who won the hearts of his teammates, the respect of rivals and the affection of coaches. “I estimate you”, Del Bosque dedicated to him, with whom he won the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 with Spain, in a video. "I love you a lot," Leo Messi told him in another recording. “You deserve to leave this way. It was an honor to share so much time with you”, acknowledged the crack, invited but absent.
Even Real Madrid was in Busquets' goodbye. "He has been key to all the successes of this highly successful Barcelona," Emilio Butragueño, white institutional relations director, told him. Not surprisingly, the Barça captain is the player with the most classics, 48.
Relaxed in an armchair in front of his family, Busquets finally let go. He talked about his most hidden feelings on the field, such as when he recounted the superiority of the perfect year, 2009, with the Sis Cups. "It's ugly to say it, but a little bit, yes, we were a step ahead of the others."
Pep Guardiola, the coach who had him in the Third Division and made him debut in the elite, launched a challenge. “In La Pobla de Mafumet, in Manresa, on artificial grass and dirt fields... that's where you began to make me succeed. I know you want to be a coach, so I'll wait for you on the bench. I will take the ball from you and mark your midfielder closely”.
"There are still a few years to go," Busquets picked up the glove. "I'll get my card. I want to try it. I want to see if I'm worth it or not, ”he explained, in the presence of the current coaching staff, headed by his friend Xavi. "He has touched ten", the one from Terrassa pointed out to him, who recounted his attempts to continue one more year at Barça. “We burned all the cartridges and there was no way to convince him. Thinking of the friend, I think he makes it perfect, ”he analyzed.
“At the beginning of the year I began to have it clear. Then I arrived at training and doubts entered my mind", Busquets added, in front of the entire squad and also former teammates such as Gerard Piqué, retired in November, Carles Puyol, from whom he inherited the number 5 ("I offered it to him"), or Bojan. Who do you see as your successor? they asked him. "I've eaten quite a few balls to choose the captain now," he joked.
"Always in the background but it has been a pillar for everyone," dedicated Elena Galera, his wife, who took the stage with Levi and Enzo, their children. “He lives for football. He sees everything. He is heavy. When he lost at first he was worse. Then he learned to tune out,” she revealed.
"His legend explains the Barça of the last 15 years," reflected the president, Joan Laporta. "It makes you want. And he learned the values at home ”, he pointed out, remembering Carles, his father, a Barça goalkeeper for nine years. "We will meet again and Sergio's love story with Barça will continue to be written in golden letters," promised the president.
Sergio will no longer play in Vigo nor will he travel to Japan for the duel against Iniesta's Vissel Kobe, who like Pedro, Thiago, Bartra, Luis Enrique or Pep, recorded a video of him. "It is irreplaceable," Gavi pointed out on site. "A very simple person for how great he is," Pedri added. Sergio Busquets Burgos there is only one
