Barcelona’s local players, so often held up as the example of the club in their youth, often give credence to the idea that you (leave) die a hero or (stay) live long enough to become a villain. The likes of Jordi Alba and recently retired Gerard Pique are examples of how the narrative has turned against them, and in his own fashion, that has been the case for Sergi Roberto.
Roberto is paying little attention to what is said about him online though. So far this season, Roberto’s involvement has been hampered by injury, but the contributions that he has made have often been beneficial if not excellent.
The 30-year-old remained at Barcelona at the end of last season, signing a significantly poorer contract in order to remain at the club. Once again the issue of his expiring deal is on the agenda.
“There is no news about my future,” Roberto told the media ahead of Barcelona’s Spanish Supercup semi-final against Real Betis.
“Everything remains the same. My desire to continue is the same, we have not started to speak at the club. I am sure that in the coming days or weeks we will speak with the President.”
Later in the press conference he was asked whether he felt he had the confidence of manager Xavi Hernandez to continue beyond the summer.
“My desire is to be at the club of my life. I was a Cule when I was little and I have always said that I wanted to be here as long as possible. I come from a few years in which I have not been able to be 100% due to injuries. Since he arrived I felt the confidence of Xavi. When they arrived, it’s true that I just had surgery, yes. But I’ve always felt it. Everything is in place to be able to spend more time here, it’s the club of my life. We’ll see how the conversations and the season go.”
Rarely considered a starter, Roberto occupied a solid place in the hearts of many Barcelona fans for his contributions against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, but many wanted him gone as part of the ‘revolution at the club’.
