Jordi Alba to leave Barcelona at end of 2022-23 Season
Jordi Alba will leave FC Barcelona as a free agent at the end of this season. Although his contract runs until the end of the 2023-2024 season, the club has agreed to let the Spanish defender depart, the team announced Wednesday.
“FC Barcelona and Jordi Alba have reached an agreement to terminate the player’s contract with the club one year earlier than it was due to expire at the end of the 2023/24 season.
FC Barcelona would like to publicly express its gratitude to Alba for his professionalism, commitment and dedication, and his ever-positive and friendly relationship with all members of the Barça family, and wishes him every fortune in the future. Barça will always be a home for you, Jordi.”
❤️ GRÀCIES ❤️ GRACIAS ❤️ THANK YOU ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2pARAdY02j
— Jordi Alba (@JordiAlba) May 24, 2023
Alba responded to the announcement in a video on his social media account, reflecting on his decision and his time at Barca.
“My biggest dream was always to play for Barcelona and my memory is full of lifetime of moments which I will remember with affection,” Alba said.
Via ESPN
Alba’s last home game for Barcelona will be this Sunday against Mallorca. Sergio Busquets, who previously announced he would also leave the club at the end of the season, will join Alba in saying farewell to the Barca faithful at the Spotify Camp Nou.
He has been at Barcelona for 11 straight seasons now, also growing up in Barcelona’s youth setup. He joined the famous La Masia youth academy in 1998 and stayed there until 2005. After stints with Cornella and Valencia, he returned to Barca in 2012.
Alba has made over 450 appearances for the club since his return. During this time, he has also won six La Liga titles, five Copas del Rey and one Champions League.
He saw his playing time reduced this season with the rise of 19-year-old Alejandro Balde at left-back, however, and has decided that now is the right time to seek a new challenge.
His future is unclear, although both he and Busquets have been linked to moving to Saudi Arabia just as Cristiano Ronaldo did in January.
After the Mallorca game this weekend, Alba’s final outing for Barca will be one week later at Celta Vigo. The Catalan club has already clinched the La Liga title and may use these next two games as an opportunity to give their soon-departing veterans a proper send-off.
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