Speaking in an interview with La Vanguardia, Barcelona right-back Sergi Roberto has provided an update on his future, claiming that manager Xavi Hernandez wants him to stay while he also does not wish to leave the club.
Roberto is one of seven Barça players whose contract expires at the end of the season. The 30-year-old was in a similar situation last year as well but ultimately was given a one-year extension by the club at the behest of Xavi.
Heading into 2023, Roberto’s future has once again become a topic of discussion. But, the utility man has confirmed that the manager is once again pushing for him to stay at the club, while the player himself is keen on remaining a Barça player beyond this season.
“My intention and Barça’s intention is that we sit down and talk. Xavi wants me to stay and I also want to stay,” he said during the interview.
Further iterating his desire to remain at the club, Roberto said: “I have told my agents that I don’t want to listen to offers from other clubs. I want to stay at Barça.”
“I’m 30 years old, I’ll be 31 in February, and I remember Xavi telling me when he was my age that that’s when he felt the best.”
Roberto also spoke in length about several other topics related to the club and his teammates during the interview, discussing the restart of the season, the possibility of a transfer to MLS as well as a potential reunion with Lionel Messi in the future. Here are the excerpts from Roberto’s chat with La Vanguardia.
On the season restart: “The players are back with a lot of enthusiasm. Everyone who went to the World Cup is back and the rest of us have been training for a while. It’s been strange to stop and now we’ll see how the teams react, but the players are looking forward to it.”
On his fitness: “I’ve received the medical green light and I’m physically fine. I’m ready to play.”
On being the second captain at Barcelona: “At the beginning, it was a bit calmer. And it’s true that in recent years it has become more complicated than I expected. I have to be captain at all times. In the good moments to lift cups, and in the bad moments.”
On Gerard Pique’s retirement: “Those of us who have been with him for many years know him well. We knew that the moment he didn’t feel he was not important he would leave. I talk to him a lot. He’s very happy and that’s what matters.”
On whether a new captain will be named after Pique’s exit: “As of today, no. Maybe when we are all back we will talk about it, but Xavi has to decide and I don’t know if he’d prefer us to be 3 captains for the rest of the season, and then choose a new captain in the summer.”
On whether he will follow Pique and leave if he feels unimportant: “I’ll stay for as many years as they want me to. If at some point the coach tells me that he doesn’t want me, I’ll leave, but that hasn’t happened to me.”
“I’ve always said to the players who come from La Masia that when they are tempted by clubs that offer them a better salary, they shouldn’t leave. You have to be kicked out of Barça, but don’t leave because of your own decision.”
On his injury ordeals: “The last two seasons have been the most difficult for me since I arrived at Barcelona. Everything came together for me.
“Under Koeman, I went through my worst period. I injured my quadriceps, I came back but relapsed, I spent two months recovering without finding the right key, I played a lot of time injured and all the extra-sporting issues came together. This season I’ve enjoyed playing again and I’m very grateful for that.”
On whether he has felt mistreated: “Yes. You can accept criticism because you know that you are a footballer and that you play for Barça. You know that if you have a bad game then you have to accept criticism. But then things happen off the pitch that are not true.”
On what issue affected him the most: “The issue of the salary cut… The media said that we didn’t want to lower our wages. That is not true… We were always willing. And when I renewed, I took a salary cut.”
On Xavi: “Xavi gave me confidence and recommended me to undergo surgery. Knowing that there is a coach who trusts you makes the recovery easier.”
On whether fans know the real Sergi Roberto: “No. I’m a different person from players like Piqué. I try to go unnoticed, to help my teammates. In the world of sports, people don’t get to know you unless you do a Twitch like Luis Enrique did. But I’m reserved and I’ll keep it that way.”
On signing only a one-year contract: “At the beginning of last season I had a verbal agreement to renew for 2-3 years, but I had surgery, there were problems with the salaries and I decided to accept what they offered me, a one-year contract and a salary cut.”
On the MLS: “Yes, I have always said that I would like to go and play in the USA, but not now, in the future, like in two or three years.”
On if he thinks he can play with Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets in MLS: “I don’t know what Leo or Sergio will do but now there are a lot of players who would like to play in the MLS. And it’s not about the money, it’s about the experience.”
On Busquets’ replacement at Barcelona: “There are very good players like Frenkie de Jong. But there’s no one like Busi. I hope he stays.”
On if he wants to play with Messi again: “I’d like to, of course. I wish it was at Barça but I’m reading that he’s close to renewing his contract with PSG.”
On Messi’s World Cup triumph: “I was happy that Messi won the World Cup. With all due respect to my French team-mates, I think Messi deserved to win it.”
On winning titles at Barcelona: “Yes, we have realised how hard it is to create a winning team. It seemed normal to win cups and leagues non-stop. Now the first thing is to win the Super Cup and then we want to win the rest to continue to gain stability.”
On Ansu Fati: “We’ve had two years where we’ve had several injuries, both of us, and we’ve supported each other. I see him well. He’s very strong mentally.”
On the differences between Barcelona and Real Madrid: “The best football we’ve played has been with our academy players. La Masia and our philosophy. That’s what differentiates us from Real Madrid.”
On his versatility: “When I was with Luis Enrique I played in many more positions. Now I’ve stayed between right-back and right interior. For me it’s a compliment to be versatile. The coaches have always told me that it’s a very important virtue.”
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