Samuel Umtiti, former Barcelona defender, revealed the significant difficulties he faced due to his knee injury, which forced him to retire from football at the age of 32, confirming that he suffered from immense pressure and criticism during his attempts to regain his form. Umtiti spoke, detailing his experience with the club and the fans.

Umtiti said: "There were things that happened internally that people did not appreciate, while I respect everyone a lot. The fact that I did not follow the rehabilitation with the club does not mean that I do not respect them; I simply decided to do something else because what was offered to me was not helpful."

He added about his beginnings with Barcelona: "I joined Barcelona in 2016 coming from Lyon as the team captain for 25 million euros. My first period with the team was so wonderful that some compared me to Carles Puyol. After the 2018 World Cup, where I contributed to winning the title and scored a goal in the final, I began a series of injuries and surgeries that affected my career."

He continued regarding his medical decisions: "After the World Cup, I wanted to know exactly the nature of my problem and make the right decisions regarding treatment. We did not fully agree with the club, so I consulted specialists, most of whom said that I did not need surgery, and in the end, I respect Barcelona's decision."

Regarding the criticisms he faced: "People started talking and saying incorrect things, and they blamed everything on me. The most important thing for me was to return to playing football; this affected me psychologically a lot, perhaps due to periods of depression. Many things happened; I sometimes did not leave the house. People did not know anything about my efforts; they thought I was doing nothing, but I was doing intensive training sessions, two or three times a day, and I followed a strict diet to reduce inflammation."

Umtiti confirmed that he holds no grudge against anyone: "I do not hold a grudge against anyone, even though I felt a lot of resentment in the past. In my opinion, some people did not do what they were supposed to do. For me, a professional cannot be incompetent like this."

Umtiti concluded his talk by referencing his career: "Most of my 134 official matches with Barcelona were between 2016 and 2018, during which I won 7 titles, but after the World Cup, my career began to decline gradually until I retired last September with Lecce."