Very difficult Barca days are behind me, claims reborn Umtiti
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 26.09.23. | 12:11
I worked a lot on this because I had a lot of resentment, a lot of things inside me, and in the end, it didn't let me move forward
Samuel Umtiti left Barca during the recently ended transfer window. The French centre-back and the Catalan club agreed to terminate his contract after seven years spent at Camp Nou.
Everything indicated that Umtiti would be one of Barca's starting centre-backs for many years, but injuries little by little kept him away from the starting XI. Now, in hindsight, Umtiti told L'Equipe he has lived through "very difficult moments" but that it is something that is now behind him.
"I worked a lot on this because I had a lot of resentment, a lot of things inside me, and in the end, it didn't let me move forward," said the 29-year-old defender.
"This is life... I understood that in a career, there are ups and downs, things that happen, some of which I cannot handle on my own. We adapt to the situation.
"It's a message I give to young people: we really have to live in the present moment, do everything we can, realize that we have the opportunity to do incredible work and, when we are healthy, we really have to take advantage of it," he advised.
Last season, playing for Lecce on loan from Barca, Umtiti already showed a great level again. This meant that, despite not having a place in the Blaugrana team, OSC Lille noticed him.
He has a contract until 2025, and Umtiti is convinced that he still has a lot of top-level football left in his boots:
"Compared to everything I have experienced, I know exactly where I want to go, what I have to do to get there. We play football to reach as high as possible. Then there are stages, and I don't want to skip them at all. I am very clear about that. I want to settle in a club that suits me, do good things and for people to see my qualities. There will be stages. I need to play a series of matches, do it well, and then the rest will come."
LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 6
Friday
Monaco - Nice 0-1 (0-0)
/Boga 90+1/
Saturday
Nantes - Lorient 5-3 (1-1)
/Abline 42, Comert 46, Mohamed 55, Mollet 83, Simon 90+8 pen - Kroupi 6, Faivre 75, Tosin 85/
Stade Brestois - Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 (0-0)
/Mounie 87/
Sunday
Metz - Strasbourg 0-1 (0-0)
/Diarra 83/
Lens - Toulouse 2-1 (1-1)
/Said 45+1, Guilavogui 84 - Pina 33/
Le Havre - Clermont 2-1 (2-1)
/Alioui 4, Bayo 7 - Konate 45+1/
Montpellier - Rennes 0-0
PSG - Olympique Marseille 4-0 (2-0)
/Hakimi 8, Kolo Muani 32, Ramos 47, 89/
Tuesday
22.00: (2.15) Lille (3.60) Reims (3.50)
***odds are subject to change
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