Former French defender Jeremy Mathieu he admitted this Sunday that he never wanted to leave Valencia and sign for him Barcelona, but explained that he left his old team because he did not receive a satisfactory counter-offer.
Mathieu talks about the difficult time he lived in Barcelona
“I didn’t want to go to Barça. When the club called me (in 2014), I was captain in Valencia, I liked my life there and I asked myself: Will I warm up the bench in Barcelona? “, He revealed in a dialogue with the newspaper L’Equipe.
When he received the Blaugrana contract, he drew up a new one, with a salary halfway between what he had at that time and the one offered by the Catalans.
“I showed that fake contract with the sports director from Valencia and I said, ‘If you give me this, I’ll stay.’ Francisco Rufete told me that there is no problem, but when I called President Amadeo Salvo, he refused “, adds the Frenchman.
Mathieu, Aged 37, commented that he found out they didn’t have it and went to Barcelona, where he played until 2017, before going to Sport from Portugal and retire.
Mathieu assures that Neymr left Barcelona for Messi
His most embarrassing sporting moment, he claims, is the own goal he scored with Barça in a game against him. Villarreal on March 20, 2016, which ended in a draw.
” In one corner, I didn’t see the ball coming, it jumped off my chest and went into our goal. After that, all the Spanish journalists crushed me, as if I had done it on purpose “, he says.
Your best teammates and toughest rival
Mathieu He emphasizes that Messi, David Silva, Juan Mata and Xavi, who impressed him with their “technical ease and simplicity off the field”, were the best players with whom he shared the locker room.
During the interview, he was asked who was the toughest rival and did not hesitate to show the Spanish striker Diego Costa.
“It gives you small” dog “blows to get you out of the game. He steps on you, apologizes and does it again right after. Even if you know it, it bothers you, you answer it and you get a card “, says the Frenchman.