Ivan Rakitic who plays in the midfield for FC Barcelona has slammed his club for their recent treatment of him and for trying to force his departure last year. Barcelona tried to get rid of the midfielder last year when he fell apart with the authorities in the club. The Croatian playmaker has been with Barcelona since 2014 but has fallen out of contention this campaign due to the arrival of Dutch midfielder, Frenkie de Jong.
Al through this season, which is now beleaguered by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Rakitic has only started 10 of Barcelona’s 27 La Liga matches. He told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, “I understand the situation, but I’m not a sack of potatoes, which you can do anything with. I want to be somewhere I feel wanted and respected. If that’s here, then I’ll be delighted. But, if it’s somewhere else, then I’ll be the one who decides where, not anyone else.”
Rakitic who is 32-year-old confirmed that he refused to move to Paris St-Germain (PSG) last year as part of a deal to bring Neymar back to the Camp Nou. He also spoke of his disappointment at losing his place in the team this season. But the Croatian midfielder insisted he wishes to see out his contract, which ends in 2021 and would mean Barcelona would not be able to earn a transfer fee from his departure.
“Last year was the best of the six I’ve had here and I was annoyed with how I was treated. I was very surprised and I didn’t understand it. The results have not been the best and I haven’t played much. That is why I felt hurt,” he said, adding, “I had a very strange first half of the season, it was very uncomfortable and surprising for me. But I hope I can finish this last year of my contract.” FC Barcelona are currently top of the standings in La Liga, which is suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the whole world.
Sadly, Spain is one of the worst hit by the pandemic with thousand of Spanish people already dead while thousands are still in different hospitals across the country.
