Umtiti defines Barcelona period as “prison”

the french defender Umtiti talked about passing through barcelona and described his time on the team as “a prison”. The defender, who is on loan to the Lecce-ITAhas a contract with the Catalan club until 2026.

In an interview with “Canal +”, the player opened the game about the charges and judgments he received due to the drop in performance on the field. The defender celebrated having found happiness again at the Italian club.

“The only thing I wanted was to feel valued, useful, respected. I spent four years in Catalonia in prison, not just on a sporting level but in everyday life.” said Umtiti.

In Salento I found my smile again and I am grateful for that. I love the language, the food, the fashion”, completed the player.

The Frenchman arrived at the Catalan club in 2016, in a €25 million deal with Lyon-FRA. In the first two seasons, under Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde, he was part of the starting lineup.

In 2018/19, he suffered from frequent knee injuries and lost space in the team. In that season and the two that followed, 2019/20 and 2020/21, he made less than 20 appearances for the Catalan side. Umtiti played just once in 2021/22.

In the beginning, after I moved to Spain, I felt appreciated, I played at a high level. Then I started to suspect, I felt bad, I realized that no one believed in me anymore”, vented the Frenchman.

After agreeing to reduce their salaries, Barcelona offered a contract renewal until 2026. This year, he was loaned to Lecce due to the lack of space in the squad commanded by coach Xavi.

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