Riqui Puig He spoke to SPORT from the Ibérica press group in Los Angeles to discuss his first year at MLS Galaxy and his departure from the team. Barca. Midfielder injured Xavi opened the doornot a new critique, but assured that he had an excellent experience in the United States League.

What about your life in Los Angeles?

I’ve been here for a year and it’s an impressive city, football is totally different, I’m very comfortable in the city, they take care of me a lot and I came here looking for minutes and I live them. The truth is he is very happy.

What would you do in Los Angeles that you didn’t do in Barcelona?

I can golf in peace, disconnecting does me good. When I played in Barcelona, ​​sticks fell everywhere. I can go to dinner comfortably, people don’t bother me. There are a lot of stars here and not many a football player. Going to see the Lakers is a brutal experience. Every child, even six months old, has to come here. The experience is brutal, you learn the language well. Now my family is here, my sister, my girlfriend.

Too emphasized?

I’m young and I want to go out, go to dinner, there were non-sport matters, they followed me home, wanted to know where to eat, where to drink. This was my private life and it bothered me. Here football is the fourth sport and people are not so conscious. They’re looking for other things when you’re not playing there, now it’s been said about Pablo Torre and it’s so unfair.

On a personal level, things seem to be going well for him.

Yes, it’s true that as a team it cost us a little bit because we’ve suffered significant losses like Chicharito and Martín Cáceres but on a personal level it’s good. I was lucky enough to score the game-winning goal in the Rose Bowl game that had a lot of impact, I also scored at home against Philadelphia. The team will be reinforced with the goal of entering the Play Offs at the group level.

Why did you decide on such a change at such a young age?

It sucked considering I’ve always been in Barcelona. Coach called me and it suited me very well because of how the team played. I wasn’t very comfortable on or off the pitch in Barcelona, ​​there were things I didn’t like out there. It is true that there is another football, another League. Here you are in the best League in the world, with the best and here it is different but everything is going well. I am very happy with my decision.

Has Riqui been unfair to Puig?

I didn’t have good luck with some things, we changed many coaches, there were a lot of people who went, the club was not good. Now I see Barça as a record and it’s the same as before. I was in a situation where I didn’t feel very comfortable.

It wasn’t the right time.

Being young from the quarry at the time didn’t help. I had no continuity. Sometimes I get upset about it, but the truth is they’re being nice to me here.

Is your idea to make a career here or return to Europe?

I have two more years of contract here and I will make a decision at the end of the year. I am competitive and want to play in a competitive league. This will happen, now Messi, Busi, Alba have arrived. We’ll see the idea we all have. We need a more competitive team to be on top because I came here to win.

“Busi and Alba helped me a lot”

Do you want to play against Inter Miami already?

We meet with Busi and Alba every week. I really want to play against my old teammates and more from the other side of the world. More with Busi who helped me a lot in the locker room. Also Alba. I think they will have a great time in Miami.

It seems that he is considering returning to Europe.

An idea that you always have in mind for my football and my future. I came here very young, to train, to gain experience, it’s brutal, but if there is an opportunity to go to Europe, I will not say no.

Oriol Romeu returns to Barça. Can you imagine coming back?

He was away from the club for many years, I have been for a year. This is my team, we used to go to the fields with my dad when I was little, but now I have other things on my mind. Now I’m here and I’m thinking about the Galaxy. Happy for Oriol Romeu. He will add a lot to the club.

How do you see Barcelona?

I’m trying to follow the matches here. The club is thriving financially and it shows in the transfers it has made. I am happy for the club because it deserves to win leagues and develop in Europe like this year. We’ve had a roster for something else in the last two years but luck and some details were missing. They can desire many things with this template.

How did your relationship with Xavi end?

We sat down before the season was over and he said he didn’t trust me. It was different with the president, he saw a future in me and wanted me to stay, but I wouldn’t stay at a club where the coach didn’t want me. It hurt when he didn’t let me train for the first few weeks. The deal was not good. He had a contract and had to play as a player for the club he was in. It bothers me. I immediately looked for a way out and going to the other side of the world went well for me.

I miss him?

Yes, he called me and my family twice to go to Qatar to do something with another club. There was a relationship between families. It hurts me to think that we are with Xavi’s family as an actor and friend. I was not successful with it. This happens sometimes, but not being able to train in the first week of the pre-season really bothered me.

But he continues to be from Barça.

The Culer feeling will never change. I’ve had t-shirts since I was little. Now I’m far away and it’s hard to follow him, but I’m from Barça. The whole family is common.