Neymar Jr sends heartfelt message to former teammate Sergi Roberto as he leaves Barcelona
Neymar Jr penned a farewell message for former Barcelona teammate Sergi Roberto as he announced his departure from the club after 14 years of playing for the senior team. The Brazilian shared a reel from Barca's official account that included some of Roberto's key moments at the club and wrote:
"Mucha sueter en tu nueva etapa amigo @sergiroberto (Good luck in your new chapter my friend)."
Neymar and Sergi Roberto shared the pitch 104 times at Barcelona between 2011 and 2017, registering four joint-goal contributions. Together, they won two La Liga titles and one Champions League and were both part of the Catalan club's iconic treble-winning team in the 2014-15 season.
After 14 years, Sergi Roberto leaves the Catalan club with two Champions League titles, seven La Liga titles, six Copa Del Reys, six Spanish Super Cups, one Club World Cup and one UEFA Supercup. In 373 appearances for the Blaugrana, the Spaniard scored 19 goals and assisted 43 more.
Blaugrana fans will remember Roberto for many of his iconic moments, but his final goal for Barcelona against Paris St-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie, completing the iconic Remontada, will always be a part of the club's rich legacy. The goal was coincidentally assisted by Neymar.
When Sergi Roberto spoke about Neymar's possible return to Barcelona
Former Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto has always spoken fondly about his old teammate Neymar, especially when there were rumors linking the then Paris St-Germain star to Barca.
Speaking to SPORT in the summer of 2023 about Neymar's potentially returning to Barcelona, Roberto said that he had some of his best days at the club alongside the Brazilian forward.
"It excites me because he is a former teammate who is a friend, and I shared a lot of good things with him over many years. When he was in the side, they were some of the best years I've had in the Barca first team, we won everything." Roberto said.
Back in 2023, ESPN reported that the Brazilian was keen on returning to Barca although the board was divided about signing him. He had left the Camp Nou in 2017 to sign for PSG in a record €222 million deal.
Speaking about his supposed return, Sergi Roberto made it clear in his statement that he believed Neymar could bring a lot to their side.
"He's a player who is different to the rest. I'm sure he would bring us a lot. But in the end, it's not me who decides. Those responsible for deciding whether he comes or not will decide what's best for the club. What we want is to have the best team possible," he said back in 2023.
Ultimately, the Joga Bonito star left Paris St-Germain to join Al-Hilal on a two-year deal. Meanwhile, Sergi Roberto is yet to announce his next destination after Barcelona.