VETERAN ALBA LEAVES BARCELONA AFTER 11 YEARS WITH THE TEAM

Barcelona announced on Wednesday that Jordi Alba will depart the team at the end of the current campaign after 11 years.

Barcelona released a statement saying, “Alba and Barcelona have reached an agreement to release the player from the contract he had until the conclusion of the 2023–24 season.”

“Barcelona publicly expresses its gratitude to Jordi Alba for the professionalism, commitment, dedication, and always positive and warm treatment he has always shown towards everything that makes up the Barcelona family.”

After moving from Valencia to Barcelona in 2012, Alba amassed 19 trophies with the Catalan giants, including six La Liga championships and one Champions League victory.

This season, the team’s senior left-back from Spain, 34, was replaced by Alejandro Balde, a 17-year-old.

The final year of Alba’s contract, which expires in 2024, was said to have been waived, according to Spanish media, in order to assist the club’s financial difficulties.

Sergio Busquets, the club’s captain, also left the organization this summer, and the Spaniard is following in his footsteps.

The two will face Real Mallorca on Sunday in their final home game at Camp Nou.

As a crucial outlet on the left flank, Alba has played more than 450 times for Barcelona, contributing 91 assists and scoring 27 goals.

Barcelona recently defeated Osasuna 1-0 thanks to the defender’s goal, pushing them even closer to the championship.

He assisted Spain in their 4-0 victory over Italy in the 2012 European Championship final.

When he helped Barcelona win the treble in 2015 under Luis Enrique, it was one of his best seasons.

Like Busquets and Lionel Messi, the former Barcelona playmaker who is leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, the left-back has been connected to a move to Saudi Arabia.

Prior to departing for Cornella and then Valencia and returning to Camp Nou for 14 million euros ($15 million), Alba joined Barcelona’s academy as a teenager.