“After Barcelona, I Needed Some Peace And Quiet”

Written By Onyeka Daniel

It’s not everyday you see a player leave Barcelona for other clubs, especially for clubs can be said to be at a lower level than the Blaugrana, but for French defender, Samuel Umtiti, that was the route he was forced to take this season.

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The 28-year-old French centre back joined Italian side, Lecce from Barcelona, on loan, giving him a chance to play consistent minutes after a difficult few years in Catalonia.

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Umtiti has been struggling with injuries following France’s World Cup win in 2018 and had a slow start to life with Lecce as he built up his match fitness. In a recent interview, the player discussed his emotions during his debut with the Puglian outfit, why he joined the club and his initial thoughts on Serie A.

Speaking in a press conference, Umtiti first spoke about how his Lecce debut felt in the loss to Roma. “I felt great emotions, I’m proud of the game I played, after so many months in which I worked hard to catch up with my teammates.” He also gave his thoughts on the Italian League ;

“Serie A is really very different from the Spanish league, it is much more physical and very tactical. I am adapting to a different game, but this also allows me to discover a new way of playing. “The tactical and technical level is very high, but we have the qualities to do well in this league and play our part.”

The Frenchman commented on his goals and objectives with Lecce. “In this moment of my life it is important to play again, to feel valued and important in this team and to reach my goal with Lecce. With the national team I wrote beautiful pages of my career, but right now I’m only thinking about Lecce and doing well with this shirt.”

He reflected on the Incredible welcome he was given by Lecce fans. “The welcome I got was extraordinary. I was happy to share that moment with the fans, it gave me an incredible energy charge and I felt immediately considered.

“I now want to regain the form I had three years ago, my late return is due to the search for the best possible form, because I want to make an important contribution to this team.” Umtiti explained why he decided to make the move from Barcelona to Lecce.

“After my experience at Barcelona I needed peace and quiet. Lecce is the best solution, because it is also an ideal city in which to live, there are ideal conditions here to start again. During the summer there were other opportunities, but today I feel I can confirm this choice.”

He looked ahead to his future goals. “I arrived in Lecce with the mentality of facing different challenges every day. In Barcelona I had a lot, just as I had the opportunity to play with great champions. “Unfortunately, some physical problems forced me to start from scratch. It is not easy to go back, but I have chosen to rewrite my career with Lecce and the first stage is to try to save our lives with the Giallorossi.”

Finally, Umtiti looked back at Lecce’s tough 2-1 loss to Roma. “Playing in Rome is not easy for anyone, because it is always a match full of great emotions. The referee’s behaviour at the Olimpico was not in our favour, but what matters is to stay focused on our game. We have to do our job and approach every game in the best possible way.”

Umtiti will be hoping to have a great season with Lecce, devoid of injuries, so he can at least earn a second chance, if not at Barcelona, then at another top European club from next season.

Meanwhile…

Two Italian sides, Ac Milan and Juventus are said to be monitoring the situation of Argentine midfielder, Rodrigo de Paul, with a view of signing him whether in January or later June next year as he continues to struggle in Spain.

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After making a name for himself in Italy with Udinese, De Paul earned a move to Atletico Madrid last season, but has struggled to get a regular starting spot with the Los Rojiblancos. So far this season de Paul has started just four of Atleti’s 12 matches this season, leading to talks that he could be eased out of the team.

The two teams were interested in him before his move to Spain, as were other Italian clubs and they will now have the chance to sign him again. According to reports, it would take at least, an offer of €30 million to tempt Atletico into selling the player, a fee that would be deemed to high for the Italian clubs, unless they can work out a loan plus option to buy deal.

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(Mundo Deportivo)