Former Barcelona flop reflects on his time at the club – ‘Those were not good times’ | OneFootball

Sergino Dest, the former Barcelona full-back, shared his thoughts on his time at the club, highlighting how he gradually lost confidence both in himself and in his role within the team.

When he first arrived at Barcelona, he was full of energy and belief in his abilities, but that began to fade over time. Dest admitted that the environment at Barcelona during his tenure was difficult, and this contributed to the challenges he faced.

His journey at the club began during a time of instability, with Barcelona going through institutional difficulties. Despite these challenges, he described his experience as amazing and expressed that he will always carry the club in his heart.

“It was an amazing experience. I will always carry Barça in my heart,” he began by saying.

However, he regretted the way his time at Barcelona ended, believing he could still contribute to the team.

“It was a shame that he had to end like this because he felt he could still be useful for the club. But when a new coach comes in and has his ideas, you can’t change them.”

What happened at Barcelona?

Sergino Dest finally explains what went wrong at Barcelona. (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

Dest reflected on how his initial confidence dwindled as the expectations placed on him didn’t align with his playing style.

He arrived at the club eager to make an impact, taking risks on the ball and pushing forward, which is central to his style of play.

I  arrived ‘flying’, I wanted to show, and play and things were going well for me on an individual level. But in the end, I was new here, and my teammates didn’t know me.

However, at Barcelona, he was asked to play a more cautious game, which led to uncertainty in his decisions. This internal conflict between being himself and adapting to the team’s demands began to take a toll on his performance.

“In the end, I have a style in which I often take risks with the ball but here I was asked to play a different game.

“That made me lose some confidence in my decisions and doubts about whether I should be yourself or change my style and those doubts ended up hurting my performance.”

The mounting pressure

Sergino Dest admits pressure was large at Barcelona. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

The pressures of playing for a club like Barcelona were immense. Dest acknowledged that the overall atmosphere at the club wasn’t the best during his time there.

“Without a doubt, but above all at the team level. Those were not good times for the club.

“The club was in a kind of depression, there were many problems outside of the field and it was a bit of chaos.”

Barcelona was facing off-the-pitch problems, financial difficulties, and a general sense of chaos. These issues, combined with the team’s struggles on the field, affected everyone.

“The results suffered because important signings could not be made either. And then everything goes in chains. The ‘this player has to go’ began, ‘the other one is very bad’… all that weighs.”

Any regrets?

When asked if he had any regrets, Dest clarified that he didn’t feel regret, as much of what happened was out of his control. However, he did feel that he was never given a fair chance under Xavi.

“I wouldn’t say regretting it, because in the end it wasn’t up to me, but I don’t feel like I had the necessary opportunities with Xavi,” he admitted.

Dest says Xavi held him back. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

He felt limited in his role, especially as his main strength lies in attacking. Xavi, however, asked him to hold back from going forward, and this restricted his ability to play his natural game.

“I felt like I had to play with limits, and that I wasn’t myself. I wanted to join the attack, because that’s my greatest virtue, but he asked me not to go up.”

Relationship with Xavi

Regarding his relationship with Xavi, Dest hinted at some frustration. He explained that while Xavi initially assured him that he was part of his plans, the reality was different when he returned from vacation.

“I think he wasn’t honest with me. We had several conversations in which he told me one thing but then I doubted if it was really true.”

This change in communication left Dest confused and doubting whether he had been given a genuine opportunity to prove himself.

“In the summer, before going on vacation, he told me “I’m counting on you, don’t read the newspapers”. And as soon as he returned, he told me “you have to go”.”