sakidbet Samuel Umtiti reflects on the good and bad times he had at Barcelona

French defender Samuel Umtiti has opened up about the good and bad times he spent at Barcelona between 2016 and 2023, before returning to the French league to join Lille, Diario Sport reported on Monday.   sakidbet

Umtiti was considered a long-term future at Barcelona after joining from Lyon in the summer of 2016, but his career took a turn after the 2018 World Cup, with a knee injury that he has never fully recovered from, and he was sent on loan to Lecce for the 2022-23 season, where the two parties decided to part ways. ( sakidbet )

Umtiti has now joined Lille after signing a contract until 2025 last summer, but the 30-year-old centre-back has struggled with fitness issues and has only made six appearances in Ligue 1 last season. 

‘I didn’t have enough support when I came back to Barcelona after winning the World Cup,’ Umtiti said. ‘There are things like this that make you feel alone in situations like this. They leave you, they blame you while you are the one who suffers.’

The French defender also described how it was a difficult time for him and how it also affected his mental health at the same time.

‘It’s not easy to deal with that. The people who work for you to help you recover are actually there to bury you. I was an easy target because I hadn’t played in years.’

‘I get a big salary from the club and every day something happens.’

Umtiti’s slump in form was largely due to his physical condition at the time. He recalled that the media distorted his story and made him a target of hatred.