Samuel Umtiti, a Barça player on loan to Lecce in Serie A, has opened up in an interview on Canal France about his time with the Catalan team and his new life in Italy. "It has been a hard four years, but now I have rediscovered my smile and the joy of playing football. They have given me this confidence here and I have been able to squeeze myself as I did years ago", he said about his role in the Italian team.
Umtiti has spoken above all about his time at Barça and how difficult the years in Barcelona were for him. "I don't know if it was a depression, but it was really complicated and difficult at all levels. I closed myself off a lot with my close people. There were times in Barcelona that I didn't want to leave the house. My friends told me to go out to change my ideas, but I told them no, that I wanted to be alone. It was very complicated", he commented. "The only thing I wanted was to feel appreciated, useful, respected. I spent four years in Catalonia in prison, not only at a sporting level, but in everyday life," he added.
Regarding his new life in Italy and the prominence he has acquired at Lecce, the Cameroonian footballer admitted that "in Salento I have found my smile again and I am grateful for that. I love the language, the food, the fashion... ". However, the player has a contract with Barça until 2026 and in June he must return to Spain, although everything points to a new loan because the center-back is not part of Xavi's plans.
Although as he says now he only thinks about avoiding relegation, he is considering options for the future. "Some time ago, my friend Lacazette came to see me in Via del Mare. We thought that, before retiring, it would be good to play a little more together," he said.
Umtiti also pointed out that "physically I have been ready and pain-free for a long time" and has recognized that "the hardest part was mentally since I had to make my brain understand that I was fit to play. I had to make the mental click and has finally arrived."
