One of Barcelona’s oldest players, Jordi Alba, believes that he is one of the most hated players in world football. He came to this conclusion due to playing nature on the pitch, his rough and no-nonsense style, however, he also said that he is a very different person off the pitch. In a long interview with Movistar+, the player talks about his position at Barcelona and about his relationship with Lionel Messi.
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Alba now 32, joined the Catalans eight years ago from Valencia. The player has been a loyal servant to the club and has decided to open up about his experience in top-flight football. In the extensive interview with Movistar+, he said,
"“It is clear that if people know me through football, they would think I am one of the most hated players in football, that is clear,”Source Goal"
He puts this reception down to the way he plays. He admitted that he plays in a very “heavy” manner which does not go well with most players. However, he said that the Alba on the pitch is not how he is in real life. He believes that he is a very humble and polite person in general but he needs to play in an aggressive manner to stay the best in the game.
Alba hopes to give more assists at Barcelona.
He went on to say that given his style, he can help out a lot more in the attack but at Barcelona that is not possible. However, he still has eight assists this season in all competition and he hopes to further that stat. He said in the interview,
"“I do more damage when I am not expected when I take advantage of the space that my teammates generate. At Barca, it is more difficult to give assists, because other teams are closing more, but I am getting many and hopefully, I will get many more.”"
Lastly, he went on to talk about his relationship with the club’s legend, Lionel Messi. He has played with the Argentine for almost a decade now and said that there is immense trust between the two. He said that they have a good relationship off the pitch, one which they do not have to work on but one which comes naturally after years of playing together.
Do you think Alba is hated in the footballing world?