world champion with France in 2018, Samuel Umtiti never had the same prestige in the Barcelona after the Russia World Cup. The defender suffered from injuries, lost space at the Catalan club and, according to the player himself, “spent four years in prison”.
“The only thing I wanted was to feel valued, useful and respected. I spent four years in Catalonia in prison, not just on a sporting level but in everyday life,” Umtiti told France’s Canal+ on Friday.
Brought up through the Lyon academy, Umtiti was signed by Barcelona in 2016. The defender quickly earned his place in the first team and won the Copa del Rey in his first season. Alongside Gerard Piqué, he formed the defensive duo that helped Barça win La Liga the following year.
However, at the end of the 2017/18 season, the Frenchman suffered a knee injury and chose not to undergo surgery in order not to be left out of the World Cup in Russia. Umtiti was a starter for the French national team and lifted the world cup.
Upon returning to Barcelona, the physical problem worsened and the player missed several games due to injury, a fact that did not please the culé board and the technical commission. Since then, Umtiti started playing in just 37 matches over the next four seasons.
“In the beginning, as soon as I moved to Spain, I felt valued, I played at a high level. Then I started to distrust, I felt bad, I realized that nobody believed in me anymore. In Salento (in Lecce), I found my smile again and I’m grateful for that. I love the language, the food, the fashion,” said Umtiti, who was loaned to Italian football in 2022.
Leaning against Barcelona, the defender accepted a proposal from Barcelona’s management to reduce his salary, in exchange for a contract extension. Therefore, Umtiti signed a new contract valid until June 2026 and was loaned to Lecce, a newly promoted team in Italy.
As soon as the loan ends, the Frenchman will have to return to Barcelona, but he already knows that he will not have a place in Xavi’s team. Barça already has defenders Ronald Araujo, Jules Koundé, Eric García and Andreas Christensen in the squad.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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