Author – Amrit Santlani
Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets confirmed on Wednesday that he will be leaving his boyhood club after 18 years with the Catalans. Busquets, who has also won a number of awards, including the World Cup and two Euros with Spain, has amassed a total of 718 appearances for Barcelona and is the third most capped player for the club.
During his time at Barça, the midfielder won eight La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, seven Spanish Super Cups and three Champions Leagues.
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The legendary player confirmed his departure via a video shared by the club on its social networks, with Busquets saying it was time to close the curtains on an illustrious and immensely successful journey.
“Although it wasn’t an easy decision, I think the time has come. It was an unforgettable journey. I’ve always dreamed of playing in this shirt and in this stadium. Reality surpassed all my dreams” said Sergio.
The defensive midfielder made his debut in 2008 against Racing Santander, having joined Barça as an academy student before progressing through the youth ranks at La Masia.
With the La Liga giants set to win another league title, Busquets wants to leave the club on a positive note, like a champion. Xavi’s side are currently top of the league standings, 12 points clear of second-placed Atlético Madrid with five games still to play.
After making a name for himself in the club’s youth team, the Spaniard was integrated into the first team under Pep Guardiola and the rest, as they say, is history. Following Busquets’ decision to move on, many of his past and present teammates congratulated him, including Lionel Messi and even Luka Modric, who is still going strong at Real Madrid.
According to reports, the veteran midfielder could be heading to Saudi Arabia, although many MLS teams are also interested in signing Busquets. The legendary player announced his retirement from international soccer after the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Spain, in which La Roja were eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco.