The Spanish midfield wizard joined the club as a 12-year-old and en-joyed unparalleled success — and legend status — with the first team during his 16 years at the club. The present Barcelona setup, though, is different from the one he left behind two years ago.
In an exclusive email interview to TOI, the star footballer wonders what has gone wrong with the club.
Excerpts…
How is life and football different in Japan?
The level of demand is not the same, although one of the things that pleasantly sur-prised me is the competitiveness of the J-League. It’s a league where you can never relax because any team can beat you. The Japanese players are tireless, very good technically and physically. On a personal note, we are delighted to have come to Japan. Kobe is quite similar to Barcelona in terms of size and shape, and we are very relaxed. The children, my wife Anna and I have adapted very well to Japanese culture.
How many more years do you give yourself as a professional footballer?
I don’t know yet. I have another year and a half of contract here with Vissel Kobe, and right now I feel very good. These last few months have reinforced my idea of continuing to play beyond 2021.
With Barcelona, you were part of probably the greatest football team ever. Since your departure to Japan, Barcelona has looked like a different team. What has gone wrong?
Nothing serious, I hope. It’s a team that’s won the last two leagues and can win this one too. It is true that in the (UEFA) Champions League, the team has stumbled twice, but to me it (still) seems like a team that plays a different level of football.
But it’s clear that Barcelona are now making more news off the field than on the ground, particularly (relating to) the growing rift between management and players…
Opinions from the outside are always difficult, but it is clear that there are some internal problems that should be solved for the good of all.
Do you see yourself returning to Barcelona?
I’ve always said that I would like to come back one day. I feel it is my home, where they helped me develop as a person and as a footballer. I would be happy to return there to help. But we will see what happens in the future. Now I am still a footballer and I hope to enjoy playing football even more for years to come. We will see after that.
Between Xavi and Pep Guardiola, who would you prefer as the next coach?
It’s not about choice. Pep already has a consolidated career and has earned everyone’s respect as coach. Xavi has the whole future ahead of him. He has just started and is still training. I do not doubt that he will be an excellent coach and, naturally, one day he will coach Barcelona.
La Masia produced some of the world’s greatest footballers, but that no longer seems to be the case. Why does Barcelona now buy more than it produces?
It’s not easy to get players from the youth system into the first team every year. I believe that Barca works very well on the football base, but you must have huge trust in the talent that comes from below. It should be the base of the team, reinforced by the talent that comes from outside to complete the squad.
Barcelona is now headed for an inevitable rebuild, so how much footballing wisdom is there in getting back Neymar, a former star who left just when he was getting established?
I think Neymar is an extraordinary player, very skilled, one of the best in the world. From that point, those who decide must evaluate whether or not it is appropriate to incorporate him.
Does the goal in the final of the 2010 World Cup remain your best ever? How would you describe that feeling?
It’s impossible to describe the feeling in words. I felt a lot of joy and immense pride at having helped Spain win their first World Cup. Scoring a decisive goal in extra time in a World Cup final is something every footballer dreams of. I was fortunate enough to experience that unique moment. I felt privileged.
Since Spain won the World Cup in 2010, there have been no World Cups to remember. For a defending champion, they departed early in 2014, and then came the fiasco with the coach in 2018. How mentally exhausting were these two World Cups?
I don’t have good memories of these dates. In 2014, we got off on the wrong foot, didn’t feel comfortable and went home too soon. In 2018, everything was a bit strange, with the change of coach. I had already announced that I was retiring from the national team, and then the penalty shoot-out (loss) against Russia happened. The truth is that I would have said goodbye (to international football) differently.
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