Aleksander Hleb has revealed he regrets joining Barcelona from Arsenal in 2008 and he did not enjoy his stint in Catalonia.
The Belorussian joined Barca for 15 million euros but failed to make an impact at Camp Nou, he was loaned out a year later before leaving the club permanently in 2012.
“I was at the peak of my abilities in London and living some of the best moments of my career,” the BATE Borisov player stated in an interview with Reuters.
“In my first season we reached the Champions League final, which we lost. But I remember it a lot more than the final that I actually won with Barcelona in 2009.
“Part of me regrets not staying at Arsenal – Wenger was like a father to me and he trusted me. It saddens me to think about it. But at the same time, Barcelona was – and is – the bigger club. I didn’t play as much, but I did play a bit.
“If Wenger had been in that position he would have come up to me and spoken to me.
“I don’t blame Guardiola; I should have been more professional. If I hadn’t taken that bad decision I could have played at the top for another five years.”
