"I thought of it as a family" - Ex-Barcelona star opens up on exit from the La Liga side, claims he was 'hurt' by the club's treatment
LA Galaxy star Riqui Puig has revealed that Xavi did not let him train with the first team at Barcelona. He claimed that the manager was not counting on him and asked him to find another club soon after he took over.
Puig was regarded as one of the best prospects in La Masia and was promoted to the Barcelona first team in 2018. However, managerial changes saw the youngster going in and out of the side, and he eventually left for MLS in 2022.
The youngster has been a regular for his new club and has now lifted the lid on his Camp Nou exit. He claims that Xavi forced him out by blocking him from training with the first team. He told SPORT:
"Before the end of the season, we sat down and he told me that he didn't count on me. With the president it was different, he saw a future in me and wanted me to stay, but I wasn't going to stay at a club where the coach didn't want me."
Puig added:
"He hurt me when he didn't let me train the first few weeks. The deal was not good. He had a contract and had to play as a player for the club that he was. That bothers me. I quickly looked for a way out and going to the other side of the world has gone well for me."
Joan Laporta, the current Barcelona president, was also in charge when Puig was allowed to join the MLS side. The Spaniard moved on a free transfer after the club decided they wanted to cut the bloated wage bill.
Former Barcelona star still in touch with Xavi
Riqui Puig has revealed that he is still in touch with Xavi, as he was close to the manager's family. He added that the Barcelona coach wanted the midfielder to move to Qatar but rejected the chance.
In the interview with SPORT, Ruig stated that the decision to keep him out of the Barcelona squad hurt him as a player, but he was still in touch with the manager. He continued:
"He called me and my parents twice to go to Qatar, to do things with another club. There was a relationship, between the families. It hurt me as a player and as friends that I thought we were with Xavi's family. I couldn't succeed with him. This sometimes happens, but not being able to train the first week of preseason bothered me a lot."
Ruig has played 36 matches for the MLS side and scored seven times. He has six assists to his name and formed a good connection with Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez on the pitch.