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2 months ago
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Samuel Umtiti was considered the long-term name in Barcelona’s defence even until the 2017-18 campaign. His slump in form that followed, however, saw him fall out of favour and slowly phased out of the club.
Despite his gradual decline, Umtiti only left Barcelona as a free agent in the summer of 2023 after a contract termination. He currently plays for Lille in Ligue 1 and he made just six appearances for the team in the league last season.
Speaking to the media in a recent interview, the former Barcelona defender commented in-depth on his time at Barcelona, the slump that forced his departure and his relationship with the players in the dressing room.
On his departure from the club
The French defender began by narrating his experience at the club when he returned after winning the FIFA World Cup with France in 2018.
“I didn’t get enough support when I returned to Barcelona after winning the World Cup,” he said (h/t FCB World).
“There are things like this that make you feel alone in this situation. They leave you, they blame you while you are the one suffering,” he added, emphasising that he felt lonely at the time.
Umtiti then went on to speak about how it was a difficult period for him and the manner in which it took a toll on his mentality.
“It’s not easy to deal with that. The people who work for you to help you recover were actually there to bury you. I was an easy target because I hadn’t played in years.”
“I had a big salary at the club, and every day something would appear,” he added on the pressure from external sources.
Umtiti endured a difficult end to his spell at Barça. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Umtiti’s slump in form came primarily because of his fitness struggles at the time, and the defender recalled how the media twisted the news and made him a favourable target to receive hate.
“At times, they would say that my lifestyle wasn’t good, even though I had always lived a healthy life. I remember when I arrived in Barcelona, they were like, “Wow, what a professional!”
“Then, when I got injured, they said I was unprofessional, not serious, and my lifestyle was not good,” he added on the two-faced media.
Despite not being a regular for Barcelona at the time, the French centre-back was heavily blamed as one of the root causes behind the club’s failure to continue with Lionel Messi in 2020. Speaking about the same, he said,
“Even in the Lionel Messi case, they said it was my fault because I didn’t want to take a pay cut.”
“If the club decided to give me this salary, there was a reason. I didn’t put a knife to their necks.”
He then went on to justify his stance, stating that he was never one to chase financial goals over sporting importance.
“They made me look like I was someone who only thought about money. Although as I always say, yes, I should get paid based on the work I do.”
On his teammates at the time
Umtiti then went on to praise Lionel Messi and revealed the relationship he shared with the Argentine superstar at Barcelona.
“With Leo, everything was going well. Lots of respect. I told him you are the best in the world. What he was doing no one could do, no one really.”
He also revealed how Messi was impossible to get the better of in training, saying,
“In training, whenever he was on a team, he would win. It’s amazing and I can’t describe it. He was great and his relationship with everyone was good.”
Umtiti was in awe of Messi. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)“At that time, I imagined myself spending my entire career with Barcelona,” he added.
The Frenchman also gave his two cents on his defensive partner at the club, Gerard Pique, and what he took away from the legend of the game.
“Pique is a special and beloved person with amazing abilities. He’s not a gym worker, but he’s tall and has smart positioning. I learned a lot with him.”
“Even off the field, in life and all of that, it was like he was a kid, so much older than me, but I felt like he was younger than me. So it was great, I felt completely comfortable with him in defence,” he added.
On Andres Iniesta, who he also crossed paths with at the Catalan capital, Umtiti said,
“When I was playing I had a front midfielder called Iniesta, he was great. I was passing him the hardest passes in the world and he urged me to make the difficult passes. I loved that.”
On his time at Barcelona
Towards the end of his interview, the defender spoke about his beginnings at the club and how he prepared to play at one of the biggest clubs in world football.
“While I was coming, I watched all of Barcelona’s matches. I watched a lot of videos about the positioning of players in the defence line, and how Barcelona plays.”
“When I arrived, I had daily video sessions after training with Enrique and he would explain to me positioning when we have and don’t have the ball and when it’s with the goalkeeper,” he added.
Finally, he gave his two cents about the Blaugrana’s playing style and his adaptation to the same.
“In Barcelona, you have to play with your eyes closed. When you receive the ball you must know where the player is positioned and you must play without thinking because there is no time.”
