‘I realised that…’ – Former Barcelona defender opens up on circumstances leading to exit

Javier Mascherano arguably stands as one of Barcelona’s most underappreciated and overlooked players in recent times.

Mascherano joined Barcelona in 2010, transitioning from his role as a defensive midfielder to that of a central defender.

Replacing Carles Puyol, he spent eight successful seasons at the club and quickly became an imperious presence at the heart of Barcelona’s defence, forming a long-standing partnership with Gerard Pique.

Mascherano opens up about how his exit transpired

Speaking to Clank.Media (h/t AS) Mascherano professed that his playtime was reduced under Luis Enrique in 2016/17 but still valued playing fewer high-level games at Barcelona.

When Ernesto Valverde arrived in 2017, Mascherano expressed his need for regular playtime due to the upcoming World Cup.

“In 2016/17 with Luis Enrique, I was the replacement for Piqué and Umtiti, but I understood that playing 25–30 games at Barcelona at that level was better than playing 50 somewhere else. When Ernesto Valverde arrived in 2017 I had a chat with him.

“I told him that if I was going to be left behind from the start I would think about it because it was a World Cup year and I have to play, because at 33-34 years old the rhythm is lost if you don’t play,” he said.

Mascherano left Barcelona in January 2018. (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

However, Valverde’s preference for other defenders made Mascherano realize he would play even less. Injuries and limited national team appearances pushed him to seek more consistent game-time and eventually push for an exit.

“He told me that he was clear that he had three centre-backs for two positions. La Liga started and I realised that I was going to have fewer minutes than expected. In the first call-up with Argentina against Uruguay and Venezuela I only played against Venezuela.

“We drew and qualification became complicated for us. It was the same dynamic as at the club. On the last matchday of the year I…

Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/i-realised-that-former-barcelona-defender-opens-up-on-circumstances-leading-to-exit/

Author : Shahraiz Sajjad

Publish date : 2024-07-10 13:27:48

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