MADRID, 13 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Footballer Sergi Roberto is clear that “Barça is and will always be” the club of his life, and that he has enjoyed “every moment as if it were the last” because he did not know “how long it could last,” as he said in his official farewell this Tuesday to the Catalan team after 11 seasons in the first team, in which he has played 373 games, won 25 titles and has become one of the captains.
“I want to tell you that I feel very happy and proud. I have given everything for this club for 18 years, Barça is and will always be the club of my life. This stage is coming to an end, but I am sure that our paths can unite again,” said Sergi Roberto at the farewell ceremony held at the Auditori 1899 of the Spotify Camp Nou to end his long period as a player of the Barça first team.
The man who was captain last season explained that he was a “Barça native” and that he “always” watched Barça matches “from a young age wearing a Barça shirt”, a “dream” that he made come true at the age of 14. “I enjoyed every moment as if it were my last, because I didn’t know how long it would last,” said the player.
For Roberto, the two years he spent living at La Masia and travelling between his native Reus and Barcelona were “the best” of his life, “living with teammates who are the best friends” that football has “given” him. “There I learned all the values of this club and I grew as a person and as a player,” he said, while stressing that “La Masia is and will always be the heart” of FC Barcelona.
The Catalan made his debut for Barça B at the age of 17 under the tutelage of Luis Enrique, and made his debut with the first team a year later under Pep Guardiola. “I fulfilled any child’s dream and it was undoubtedly one of the most special days of my career. Since that day I have been fortunate to be able to learn and share with the team. I have shared a dressing room for many years with my idols, who have also become my friends, and we have been able to win all possible titles and experience very magical nights,” he stressed.
“Who would have told me that I would end up playing 373 games and winning 25 titles and being the first captain of the club in my life, taking over from Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Leo (Messi) and Busquets? It has been a real honour,” said the Reus native, while holding back tears, thanking all the presidents, coaches, workers and fans of the Barça club for making him “feel at home for all these years.”
He told the latter that he would have liked to say goodbye to them on the pitch, but that he will be “eternally grateful” for their support during these years, where he has been able to live “unforgettable moments with” them. He also thanked them for their “demand”, because it has allowed him to be the player he is “today”.
He also thanked all his teammates and wished them “the best.” “You have a bright future ahead of you. And from today, here you have one more supporter, who will be cheering you on at every game, and celebrating every victory and every title like any other Barça fan,” said the midfielder.
“I’LL TAKE ALL THE EXPERIENCE I’VE HAD, THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS”
The versatile footballer reviewed his time at Barça and said that when he started he “would not have imagined making his debut in the first team” and that his time at the club “is something that will remain forever” in his memory.
“These are not just numbers, what I’m left with is all the experience I’ve had over the years,” he stressed, recalling his debut at the Camp Nou in a Copa del Rey tie against Ceuta as the most important day for him, along with his debut at the Santiago Bernabéu in the Champions League against Real Madrid. “I think it’s the dream of any child who comes to La Masía from a young age,” said Roberto, who also values ”on a symbolic level” having received “the trust” of his teammates.
He also pointed to the moment of becoming captain of Barça as the “other most important thing” in his career. “I have had captains who were my idols and then I have been lucky enough to be able to be with them for many years and learn a lot. In the end I have been the first captain, which for me is an honour and a source of pride,” he stressed, confident that he leaves the armband “in good hands” in the figure of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
Roberto was the author of one of the most important goals in the history of the club, scoring the 6-1 against PSG with which Barça managed to turn the Champions League tie around at the Camp Nou after losing 4-0 in Paris. “I will remember it for the rest of my life, and I think the ‘culers’ will always remember it. It is one of the most incredible moments seen among Barça fans, everyone always remembers it, and I was lucky enough to be there and for the ball to go in. I am sure it will be a goal that will always be remembered as one of the most magical nights,” he remarked.
Looking to the future, the footballer also pointed out that there are “incredible players” at La Masia and advised them to have “a lot of patience.” “Every year I fought, I worked to achieve my dream, which was to reach the first team of Barça. I would tell them that if this is really their dream, they should hold on, not stop working, that in the end the opportunities will come to them if you are there working daily,” he said.
Finally, he had emotional words of thanks to his family, especially his mother, who died of ALS in 2019. “Thank you for accompanying me on this whole journey, for always helping me from a very young age, for following me to all the games, and for making everything so easy and educating me in this way. Even though you are not here with me in recent years, it is you who has given me the strength to continue forward in the most difficult moments. Barça and Barcelona will always be our home,” he concluded.