Thiago Alcantara reveals he lost joy at Barcelona  

Former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara has stated that leaving the Catalans was necessary for him to find the joy of playing football again. After graduating from La Masia – Barcelona’s youth academy – Alcantara couldn’t break into the first team as he found his way blocked by the presence of Xavi and Iniesta.

As a result, he moved to Bayern Munich in 2013 in his quest for regular football. In his sixth season with the Bavarians now, Thiago revealed that, for him, playing regularly is more important than accolades since the question always boils down to how much of a contribution he had in a victory.  

“I have always wanted to play and since that wasn’t possible with Barça I had to leave to find the joy in playing football again. To me playing is more important than winning a trophy, in the end, you always ask yourself ‘To what extent I have contributed to the win?’

The Spaniard then admitted that he will forever be indebted to the Camp Nou outfit but his decision to leave was based on his desire to play regularly and that when that is not possible, it is only normal to leave.

“I will always be grateful to Barcelona, but I left because I didn’t want to be just one of the many. We, the player that were in the cantera, always had the dream to reach the first team and, once we get there, we want to play and know that we can become regulars.

“When that’s not possible, it’s the moment you should leave. That’s what I did, leaving Barcelona was my decision.”

When asked about the prospect of returning to the Camp Nou, he said: “I am only focused on the current season, I am not thinking beyond that.”

Finally, he played down comparisons with Xavi and Iniesta, labeling the duo as “incomparable”.   

“I never liked being compared to them, because they are incomparable”.