Riqui Puig remembers his last moments at Barcelona: "I felt overwhelmed"
By Manuel Meza
Riqui Puig has not held his tongue when talking about his departure from FC Barcelona and his relationship with Xavi Hernandez, the coach who closed the doors to the first team for him.
The young midfielder, who now plays for the LA Galaxy of the MLS, has criticized the treatment he received from the former Barca player and has revealed some details of his departure.
In an interview, Puig confessed that Xavi told him before the end of last season that he did not count on him and that he did not let him train with the group in the first weeks of preseason.
“There wasn't a good deal because he didn't let me train. If I have a contract, I cannot be prohibited from training and that is what bothered me the most,” he stated.
Puig has assured that Xavi Hernandez called him twice to go to Qatar, where he coached Al-Sadd, but that he did not want to go that far. “There was a good relationship between the families because they are from Terrassa,” he explained.
The youth player has acknowledged that his situation at Barcelona was complicated and that he was not comfortable either on or off the field. “At the end, there were extra-sports issues: they followed me at home, they wanted to know where I was going… and that overwhelmed me,” he said.
Puig has said that he made the decision to go to the United States after speaking with the Galaxy coach, Greg Vanney, who gave him confidence and offered him an exciting project.
“I came looking for minutes and confidence and I'm having them. On a personal level I am very happy, although on a collective level, it is costing us a bit,” he commented.
The ex-Azulgrana has admitted that he follows FC Barcelona matches and that he maintains contact with some former teammates such as Busquets and Alba. However, he is not considering returning to the club of his life for now. “It's been my club since I was little but now I have other things on my mind,” he said.