"I love how you play. And if I'm the coach, I want you on the team. This was Luis Enrique's direct message to Mathieu after a match, which initiated the transfer process. Despite the flattering words and personal recruitment, Mathieu remained cautious about the move, uncertain whether joining Barcelona would diminish his role as an established leader."
"I didn't want to say to him: wait, because you're not the Barcelona coach yet. I thought: let's see if he sells me a dream and then he's not there. Mathieu expressed his skepticism about committing to a move based on promises from someone not yet officially in position, reflecting his cautious approach to such a significant career decision."
"I wanted to play. What do I do? Do I start from scratch to go to the bench? I was hesitating. At 30 years old and established at Valencia, Mathieu questioned whether joining Barcelona would reduce his playing opportunities, creating internal conflict about accepting the transfer despite the club's prestige."
Jeremy Mathieu transferred to Barcelona in 2014 following a successful period at Valencia where he served as captain. Luis Enrique personally approached Mathieu after a match, expressing his desire to have him on the team. Despite the coach's confidence, Mathieu hesitated because Enrique had not yet officially become Barcelona's coach and Mathieu worried about his playing time at age 30. Throughout the summer, negotiations continued. The decisive factor came when Barcelona offered a €200,000 annual salary increase. Mathieu gave Valencia the opportunity to match the offer to keep him, but they declined due to financial constraints. He then joined Barcelona, where he was welcomed by Gerard Pique and former Valencia teammate Jordi Alba.
Read at Barca Universal
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