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Jordi Alba has named Sergio Busquets as a bigger legend than him at Barcelona as the duo prepares to depart Camp Nou.
Alba, 34, and Busquets, 34, will be leaving Barca when their contracts expire at the end of this month. The Spanish pair have become legends in Catalonia during their respective times at the club. They have won six La Liga titles and one Champions League trophy playing together.
However, Alba has claimed that Busquets is a bigger legend than him due to the number of trophies he won. The veteran midfielder bagged two more Champions Leagues and three more La Liga titles before the full-back's arrival in 2012. He told Barca Universal:
“Busquets is a bigger legend than me. He won more titles than me. I only beat him in goals scored.”
Alba joined Barcelona from Valencia for €14 million and made the left-back role his own during his 11 years at the club. He scored 27 goals and provided 99 assists in 459 games across competitions.
His impressive performances for the Blaugrana earned him a consistent spot in the Spain national team starting lineup. He has earned 91 international caps to date, scoring 10 goals.
Meanwhile, Busquets rose through the youth ranks at Barca's La Masia academy before making his senior debut in 2008. The midfielder went on to make 722 appearances for the Catalan giants, scoring 18 goals and providing 45 assists. He too became a mainstay in La Roja's national side, with 143 caps.
Barcelona manager Xavi admits sadness over Alba's departure
Barcelona boss Xavi is not only losing a player and former teammate but also a friend in Alba following his departure. The duo spent three seasons together before Xavi left for Qatar's Al Sadd.
The Spaniard then returned to Camp Nou in 2021 and was reunited with Alba. The left-back made 63 appearances under Xavi, chipping in with 18 goal contributions. He also played a key part in the Blaugrana's first La Liga title triumph since 2019 this season.
Xavi has touched on Alba's exit from the Catalan giants by admitting he felt he was failing as a friend. He told Marca:
“With Jordi Alba you have the feeling that you are failing as a friend, but you have to prioritise the team.”
The Barca boss then hinted that Alba was initially frustrated with the decision to part ways but eventually got on board:
“It happened to me with Luis Enrique, you don’t understand it, you have the feeling that you have to play after so many years as a starter. Jordi got angry, you have to understand it. But later there was a group chat and he told us that he was one hundred percent committed."
Alba leaves Barcelona as a champion and rightfully so given his contributions to the club. He will now make a decision over his future with the likes of Inter Milan and Manchester United reportedly interested.
