After making the announcement on Wednesday that he will be leaving Barcelona in June when his contract expires, Sergio Busquets was showered with admiration from the football world. His departure will bring an end to a very successful era at the club.
An emotional statement was posted on Instagram by Lionel Messi, who plays forward for Paris Saint-Germain and is a good buddy.
“On the field, you were always No. 5, but in fact, both as a player and as a person, you are a 10,” the Argentine maestro told Busi. “On the pitch, you were always No. “We appreciate everything you’ve done, both on and off the field,”
Busquets wrote on his Instagram account, “The time has come to announce that this will be my final season at Barcelona.”
“This has been a trip that you will never forget.”
Before this season, Busquets had already won the Champions League three times with Barcelona and La Liga eight times. However, the Catalans are on the verge of winning for the first time in four years, which will be Busquets’ ninth overall La Liga title.
Since making his debut for Barca’s first squad in 2008 under Pep Guardiola, who was coaching the club at the time, the 34-year-old has been an important member of the team, and he was named captain of the club in 2021. Busquets is third on Barcelona’s all-time record of appearances, having played for the club 718 times and winning 31 championships during his tenure there.
“It has been a privilege, a dream, and a source of pride. “Being able to defend and represent this badge for so many years has been everything, but everything has a beginning and an end,” said Busquets. “It has been everything to be able to do both of those things.”
“Even though this was not a simple choice to make, I believe the time has come to make it,” she said.
Coach Xavi Hernandez, who spent several years playing midfield alongside Busquets, expressed his desire for the midfielder to return to Barcelona for the upcoming season but acknowledged that the choice ultimately rested with Busquets.
After Busquets revealed that he would be leaving his team to pursue other opportunities, his former and current teammates took to social media to pay respect to him. Jordi Alba, a defender for Barcelona, was also seen expressing his admiration for the seasoned midfielder.
“After all that we’ve been through together, my dear friend, what more can I possibly tell you that you don’t already know?” In Instagram, Alba expressed her thoughts.
“You’re leaving your home, having left an unmistakable mark on the history of Barcelona.
After playing more than 700 matches with FC Barcelona, Sergio Busquets, a Spanish midfielder for Barcelona, stands for shots while wearing a shirt that reads “700” in this image from the club’s archive, which was taken on January 22, 2023. PHOTO: AFP
“More than 700 games, and a fundamental part in so many titles, and glorious nights that all Barca fans will forever remember,” said Messi. “More than 700 games.”
Even players who competed against him expressed their respects, with Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric describing him as “one of the best players I have played against.”
THE NEXT STEP
“Sergio is part of our badge, and will always have Barca as his home,” stated Barca president Joan Laporta in a video, hinting that the player will one day return to the club in a new capacity. “Sergio is part of our badge,”
“He will have a longer journey with Barcelona because he has always been a supporter of the club and because Barça is in his blood.”
Busquets did not provide any indication in the video as to where he would head next; nevertheless, rumours from Spain claim that he may transfer to a squad in Saudi Arabia.
Another player who may wind up in the oil-rich country is former Barcelona forward Messi. A source close to the discussions told AFP that it was “done deal” for the Argentine striker to transfer to the Middle East. Messi is another player who may end up in the kingdom.
However, Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, stated on Tuesday that the World Cup champion will not make a decision on his future until the end of the current season.
Busquets was an integral part of the Spanish national team for over 15 years when he resigned from international service in December. During that time, the squad won two major tournaments: the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012.
As Spain advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the midfielder was the only player from the side that won the World Cup in 2010 who was still a part of the squad.