Joao Cancelo admits risk in joining FC Barcelona

Joao Cancelo has admitted that he took a risk in leaving Manchester City for FC Barcelona, a year after the English side won the treble including the Champions League.

The Portuguese defender joined Barca on loan on transfer deadline day, and he’s made a fine start to his career in Catalonia.

The former Benfica man has solidified the right side of the Barcelona defence, and over the last two games he’s enjoyed two clean sheets, as well as scoring a stunning goal against Real Betis.

The defender admits that joining FC Barcelona was a little bit of a risk, but when a club like Barca come calling, you answer.

"“Yes, it’s risky, but my life has always been a risk. I always like to take risks,” he told Mundo Deportivo of his loan to Barca. “For me [City]are now the best team in the world and coming here was a risk, yes, but it’s Barcelona and when you get the opportunity from Barça you have to come.”"

Cancelo fell out of favour at Manchester City

Cancelo spent the second half of the 2022 season on loan at Bayern Munich and after winning the title there, he’s set his sights on securing the La Liga championship with Barcelona this year.

While Cancelo considers it a risk to leave the team he called the ‘best team in the world’, if he wanted to play regular football, he really didn’t have a choice.

The attacking full-back fell out of favour with Pep Guardiola in England and gained a reputation as someone who speaks his mind, Pep runs an authoritative regime in Manchester and that may be part of the reason that Cancelo found himself on the outside looking in.

But he still had a lot of positives to say about Pep and the Citizens:

"“I have to thank everyone at City, I’ve had the best moments of my career there so far, I had the chance to be in last year’s FIFA World XI, which was another dream for me. And that’s thanks to my teammates at City, the coach, Pep, and his staff, who are a very good group, very united and you can see that.”"

He was a great bit of business for Barcelona who had been struggling at right back with central defenders and central midfielders playing out of position to cover the position.