Former Barcelona midfielder reflects on complicated decision to leave in January – ‘Football does not end at Barça’ | OneFootball

Former Barcelona youth midfielder Unai Hernandez has spoken honestly about his decision to leave the club.

For any young Barça fan, the dream is always to debut for the first team and become a success at Camp Nou.

For Unai, that dream was no different. But sometimes football takes unexpected turns, and in January, he had to make one of the toughest choices of his career so far.

In an interview with SPORT, Unai shared how difficult it was to part ways with Barcelona, the club he grew up supporting. His contract was set to expire on June 30, and Barça had not made any moves to extend his deal.

Then came a life-changing offer from the Saudi Arabian side, Al Ittihad, a proposal he simply couldn’t ignore.

Reflecting on the decisions

Unai explained that when the offer arrived in January, it caught him by surprise. “Since I joined Barça’s youth team, my goal was to debut for the first team.

Unai Hernandez left Barcelona this year. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

“I’ve been a Barcelona fan since I was a child. Due to circumstances, it could not be, and he was very clear that football does not end at Barça, that there are many more opportunities to play at high levels,” he said.

He also mentioned that leaving was not part of his plan. “It was a complicated decision. The last few weeks were frustrating because my contract was ending, and I had to find a way out.

“When Al Ittihad came in, the decision became easier, but leaving your home and the club you dreamed of playing for is never simple.”

Unai also spoke about his final months at Barcelona under Hansi Flick. Unfortunately, he struggled with an intestinal virus just before the pre-season tour, which affected his performance.

“When we came back, Flick told me he didn’t need me anymore. I accepted it, gave everything with the reserve team, and kept fighting. But it wasn’t meant to be,” he added.

For Unai Hernandez, this is not the end of the road. His message is clear: there are many paths in football, and one day, he might return to where it all started.