Jeremy Mathieu insists he will rise above the likely abuse from Valencia supporters when he faces them as a Barcelona player on Sunday.
The French defender pulled out all the stops in order to secure a €20m transfer to La Blaugrana in the summer, and although he is keen for his former fans not to forget his contribution to Los Che, he is determined to return to Catalonia with a victory.
"It will be a special game for me, but I'll play like I've always done. It's nice to return to Mestalla where I played for so long,” he stated at a Press conference.
"I don't know [which reception I'll get], but we'll see. I gave a good account of myself there and I'll just have to accept the jeers.
"Even though I had some great moments at Valencia, I'm now 100 per cent Barcelona.
"Barca came through a difficult period and we've now recovered from it after two good games.
"I hope we can continue with this dynamic at Valencia.”
Mathieu then compared the expectations of both clubs but reiterated his respect for Valencia in the process.
"At Barcelona, there is more pressure to win every game," he added.
"Valencia were also very demanding, and for me they're one of the biggest clubs in Spain.
"Many things [have changed there]. Many new players have come in, with the potential to do great things. It all depends on them."
