Francisco Avila |
Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona) (EFE) of the one adopted by the Argentine, who will play next year at Inter Miami.
After eleven seasons and all the possible titles in the showcases of her house, Alba leaves with her head held high and the feeling of having fulfilled, both in sports and in other facets, such as economics, after having given up her last year of contract and the possibility of an extension of the same that, according to what he revealed, existed in his commitment.
“Football has given me everything”
Q: What has soccer given you?
A: He has given me everything. I started playing to fulfill my dreams and I have been with Barça all my life, since I was little. Playing for Barça has given me everything on an emotional level, on a family level, I have felt highly valued by the club. Here they have educated me, I am very grateful for everything that Barça has done for me.
Q: What is the best and worst memory you have in soccer?
A: I have several best moments: when I made my debut in the First Division with Valencia, which is the club that gave me the opportunity; my presentation with Barça, the European Championship that we won with Spain, European qualifiers, like the one against Milan, in which I scored; I also take very good memories of my farewell at the Camp Nou, it was very exciting and I felt very loved by the Catalans.
Bad moments? The injuries, that you suffer a lot, and those European qualifiers in which we have not been up to the task of this great club, but I always remain in the fact that we have always tried, it could have turned out better or worse, but I am leaving calm because I have always given everything for the club.
Honesty when leaving
Q: Why are you leaving Barça?
A: For many things. He had one more year of contract, and another more optional, that’s how it is. With my departure I also clearly helped the club, I was also having fewer minutes than usual, and I think it was time to step aside and from then on I have been honest, with myself, and with the people and that is what made.
In these last two weeks, I thought that this decision was the best for everyone, despite the fact that it has not been easy at all to make it.
Q: In addition, the club has appreciated the gesture of leaving to free up an important wage bill for ‘fair play’…
A: At my farewell, the president publicly thanked him, it came from his soul, in the end he was even moved, because he also knows how I am and that I have gone through delicate moments.
When the event ended, I personally thanked him for the words he had with me about the situation the club is in, but I am also the first to be grateful for everything the club has given me, and I think it is a tough situation in that sense, because it I feel able to compete, with strength, but valuing all the parts, it was the best.
Q: When did you decide?
A: I have been evaluating it in the last two weeks. When I said that I wanted to stay, apart from having a contract, it’s because it was what I felt and what I wanted, but I think it would have been selfish with people and with myself to continue for more years, and that’s when I decided to step aside. I valued it with the family, two weeks before posting it on the networks.
The luck of coinciding with the best
Q: Who have you felt most comfortable playing with?
A: I have been lucky enough to play with the best and at the right time. I have played with Andrés Iniesta, with whom I have gotten along very well on the band, with Ney, with Luis, with Pedrito, with Busquets, with Xavi, Puyol, Mascherano, Valdés… I have been lucky to meet the best, and who also with teammates who have experienced situations similar to mine, leaving to return, like Gery (Piqué), Cesc Fàbregas… He thinks that when I returned we were 15 of the youth team in the dressing room, it was very gratifying that there were so many people from the house, that we felt it in a special way, they have been wonderful years.
Special connection with Leo Messi
Q: But did you have a special connection with Messi? Would you have liked to be able to retire together at Barça?
A: Of course I would have liked, but in the end I have decided this without looking at other options. I have made a very thoughtful decision, agreed with my family, and I think I have done the best. Of course I would have liked to spend as much time as possible with him because I was a better player with him, it’s clear, when you surround yourself with very good players, you also improve.
All the goals I’ve scored (27), almost all of them have been given to me by him, I’ve also given him quite a few, but not only because of the assists, we understood each other on the field, to combine, without seeing me he knew that I was going to run into space, I threw it ahead; I knew that he was coming from behind and I gave him the back pass; We have scored many goals like this, he was a player who understood me perfectly.
Q: How do you see Alejandro Balde, your natural replacement on the left wing?
A: He is a spectacular boy, with tremendous conditions, physically very strong. He still has a lot to learn, he has room for improvement, but I think the season he has had has been very good, so young…
Little by little, having matches, is how the players are seen. Already in his day I told the president that we should not look outside, that we already had a great winger here, it is clear that nobody expected this explosion from Alejandro because he is very young, but I am sure that he will mark an era here and that is going to make it phenomenal. The left-back is very well covered with Balde and Marcos Alonso. I wish you the best.
Q: Which coaches have marked you the most?
A: I have had very good coaches. Each of them has marked me at different times in my life. I started with Tito, then came Tata, who despite not winning titles, I learned a lot from him, and at a professional level not having won at that stage is a thorn in my head, because he worked so hard.
Then Luis Enrique came and we won practically all the trophies, a phenomenon that changed the dynamics of the club and put us at the highest level; then Valverde arrived, who helped me a lot; Koeman, with whom we won the Cup and who did things very well; Quique Setién, with whom we didn’t win anything, but who tried to help as much as possible; and in the end Xavi arrived, who despite not playing, with the friendship we have, we have always tried to separate the football from the personal… I have great memories of all of them.
Doubts about whether he will be a coach
Q: Do you see yourself as a coach in the future?
A: I have doubts about whether I will be a coach. I think I’ll get my card to have it, but I do see myself, I don’t know in what facet, in the future helping here at the club, it’s the club of my life, I know it perfectly, and I’m sure that in one something or another, I can help the club.
Q: And now what do you prioritize for your last destination?
A: I have to assess everything, I still don’t have any proposal on the table. I feel good and if it’s not in Europe, you also have to compete well abroad, I’ll value everything and I’ll also talk to the family, but we’ll find the best solution for everyone so that we can go wherever we’re happy.