Accompanied by his father, Miguel Alba, and his brother David, Jordi Alba explained yesterday in Igualada the reasons that have led him to leave Barcelona after eleven years defending the shirt of the first team taking advantage of the presentation of the Jordi Alba Campus, which will be held in July. "It was a deliberate decision. I wanted to fulfill the contract but being honest with myself and the club I think the best thing for me was to leave. It's not easy because I've been in the first team for eleven years and I spent seven in the youth team," he reflected.
A lunch with president Joan Laporta and a conversation with Xavi Hernández made the footballer reflect. And on Monday night, even though he had one more year left on his contract, he decided to end his time as a FC Barcelona player. He communicated this first to the technician, who perfectly understood the decision. "The relationship with Xavi and the president is exceptional. Not everything has been rosy but I leave with my head held high knowing that I gave it my all. It was a very thoughtful decision."
This Sunday against Mallorca, Jordi Alba will therefore play his last match at Camp Nou, just like Sergio Busquets. The two captains will follow in the footsteps of Gerard Piqué, who left in January. "I've always gotten along with the fans, I want to say goodbye to them," he declared.
In this way, FC Barcelona will dismiss the course without three of the four captains who marked an era in the Barcelona team. "It's really the beginning of a new era", stress sources from the Barcelona club. Ter Stegen is the only footballer left 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 to leave the club after eleven seasons, in which he won 18 titles, played 458 games, scored 27 goals and made 99 assists, is based on two main reasons. The first is sports. I knew I wouldn't be the main character. "I made this decision because it was the best for me. I always wanted to stay but the years went by and my role was more secondary. Today I have nothing closed", he assured.
Last season coach Xavi Hernández already warned him, who found Alejandro Balde the perfect replacement. 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. They tried to give him away but Alba insisted on staying. "I would like to say more but I won't. I like them to go head on", pointed out an annoyed Jordi Alba.
The second reason that has driven the Hospitalet winger to leave is economic. Two weeks ago his agents met with the director of football, Mateu Alemany, and also with Jordi Cruyff. In the conversation, the agents expressed Alba's intentions to fulfill his contract until June 2024. They called each other to continue talking about it, since the board wanted to propose a pay cut.
It wasn't 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 Echevarría, for lunch. Although the president did not mention the exit concept, the entity's financial problems were discussed. The full-back will no longer collect a large part of his fee for the season that was left to be collected, but he will receive the amounts he had deferred, around 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 at the Camp Nou, it will be possible to sign up Gavi and Araújo when LaLiga gives the green light to the feasibility plan presented.
"I will really miss running the Camp Nou side. Who would have told that 9-year-old boy that he would achieve so much", explained Jordi Alba in his farewell video, which he recorded on Monday. On Sunday, he will say goodbye where he likes the most, at the Camp Nou.
