Xavi Simons opens up on 2019 Barcelona exit – “They didn’t believe in me” | OneFootball

Back in the summer of 2019, Barcelona parted ways with Xavi Simons, who decided to leave in favour of joining Paris Saint-Germain. That move was heavily scrutinised at the time and in the years after, and now the man himself was lifted the lid on why he chose to leave Catalonia.

Speaking on the podcast “The Sports Agents” (via Sport), Simons revealed that he chose to leave Barcelona after being informed that the club saw him down the pecking order.

“It was clear from the beginning that they didn’t believe in me. At the time I decided not to speak because I was focused only on the pitch. They told me: ‘We have other players we trust, we want to offer you a contract, but you are not one of the players who is really in the project’. For me, the decision was clear. At that time people did not know what had really happened behind all this. They only had an opinion based on what they had heard, because stories came out that I was leaving for money. Did that hurt me? Of course. I’ve been there all my life, I’ve gone through different situations, I’ve lived everything there, my whole childhood was spent in that club. I love Barça and that version came out hurt me and also my family, because it wasn’t like that.

“The reality was simple: at that time they preferred other boys. And for me it was good, because I had PSG, with a really big project, training at the age of 16 with the best players in the world. There was no need to think about it too much: the decision was easy. At Barça they didn’t trust me and, for me, the decision was clear.”

Simons reveals Neymar help at PSG

Simons also spoke on his time at PSG, including how he developed a friendship with another player that made the switch from Barcelona: Neymar Junior, who recently retired from international football in the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup.

“Being around them and seeing what they were doing to achieve their goals was the best experience I could have. These types of players prepare all their lives, and I also know that to be at the highest level you have to be in your best mental state, and not only on the pitch, but also in the food, sleeping well, recovering well. Neymar told me: ‘If you need anything, call me, write to me or come to my house and we will solve it’. I will always be eternally grateful to him. Apart from being my idol, today I can call him a friend.”