‘I’m proud to have played there’ – former Barcelona defender recalls his time at the club

Joao Cancelo, who now plays for Al-Hilal, has not forgotten his time at Barcelona and continues to look back fondly on his short but memorable stay at the club.

The Portuguese defender admitted that playing for Barcelona was a dream and a goal that he always set for himself.

For Cancelo, Barcelona was the club he always wanted to join, despite his mentor Pepe’s suggestion that he one day play for Real Madrid.

“Pepe told me that I had to play for Real Madrid one day, but I was a Barca fan.” he began to speak as quoted HOW.

I’m proud to play for Barcelona.

Cancelo spoke about his time at Barcelona, ​​expressing great pride in the fact that he had the opportunity to play for a club he had long admired. He said that his time at Blaugrana will always be treasured.

“I am happy with my time at Barcelona because I can say that I played for the club I always wanted to play for. I’m very proud of it.” he added.

Cancelo’s journey to Barcelona began in September 2023 when the club signed him on loan from Manchester City.

Although his stay at Barcelona lasted only one season, it was an important chapter in his career. During his time there, Cancelo made 42 appearances, scoring four goals and providing five assists.

These figures, while impressive, do not match the scale of his contribution to Manchester City, where he made 154 appearances over five seasons.

Despite his relatively short stay at Barcelona, ​​Cancelo said the club is close to his heart.

His departure from Barcelona was due to several factors. Despite his excitement about joining, he was unable to fully convince the club to make his move permanent.

Al-Hilal eventually secured his transfer for approximately €40 million, making him one of the highest paid players in the Saudi League, earning €17 million per season. Although his time at Barcelona was short-lived, it remains an important chapter in Cancelo’s career.