Umtiti admits relief at 'peace and quiet' after Barcelona exit
Suraj Radia
- Updated: 14 Oct 2022 22:21 BST
- 3 min read
Samuel Umtiti has revealed he was glad to leave Barcelona and get ‘peace and quiet’ after joining Lecce on loan during the summer.
The Frenchman joined Barca from Lyon in 2016 but struggled with injuries during his time at the club and only made one appearance last season.
Umtiti was one of the big earners that Barca tried repeatedly to get rid of and the 28-year-old often dealt with scrutiny from supporters as he had failed to agree moves away from the club.
Speaking to Marca, Umtiti admitted he had other opportunities to leave Barcelona but decided that Lecce would be the best place for him to build up his fitness and ‘rewrite’ his career.
"After the Barcelona experience I needed peace and quiet,” Umtiti said. “Lecce is the best solution because it is also an ideal city to live in; here are the ideal conditions to start again.
“During the summer there were other contacts, but today I feel that I can confirm this choice.
"At this time in my life it is important to play again, to feel valued and important in this team and to achieve my goal with Lecce.
“I arrived in Lecce with the mentality of facing different challenges every day. In Barcelona I had a lot, just as I had the opportunity to play with great champions.
“Unfortunately, some physical problems forced me to start from scratch. It's not easy come back, but I chose to rewrite my career with Lecce and the first step is to try to save ourselves”.
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Umtiti made his debut recently against Roma after failing to feature in their previous eight games of the season and he could not hide his delight at playing football again despite the team’s loss.
He said: ”I felt wonderful emotions, I'm proud of the game I played... after so many months in which I worked hard to get back up to par with my teammates.”
It's the Umtiti 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩 we've all been waiting for 👏👏👏 @OfficialUSLecce #LecceRoma pic.twitter.com/QbrEcN99pW
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) October 9, 2022
Umtiti’s previous contract at Barcelona was set to expire in 2023 but he raised eyebrows by renewing his deal until 2026 earlier this year, despite the club being desperate to get rid of him.
The new contract meant that Barcelona saved on his wages by 10% across the course of the deal and they would also allow him to leave for free next summer if he wanted to.
Barca are now hoping he has a successful loan spell in Serie A so that he can revive his career and provide relief on their bloated wage bill.
