Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets last addressed a full Camp Nou on Sunday. After the match against Real Mallorca, Barcelona not only said goodbye to the club icons, but also to the stadium for the time being. The home base will undergo a thorough renovation in the coming years, while Alba and Busquets leave Barça behind.
Alba honours Vilanova during an emotional farewell at Camp Nou
Both Alba and Busquets got a crowd change against Mallorca. The left back did not keep it dry, Busquets did. “It was a pride to be able to wear this shirt,” said Alba when he got the microphone in his hands after the game. “Professionally, this was the best day of my life. This year I played less, but I am proud to be culé.”
Alba also paid tribute to Tito Vilanova, the manager who brought him to Barcelona in 2012. Vilanova died in 2014 from cancer. “He was a very special person. He signed me here,” Alba recalled, after which the stadium chanted Vilanova’s name.
The defender then handed over the microphone to Busquets. “It was a pleasure to play here. From a young age I dreamed of playing in this stadium. That dream is now fulfilled and no one can take it away from me. In the future we will again have the most beautiful stadium in the world. This is not a goodbye, but a see you later,” he said.
Later in the evening, Alba and Busquets were jostled by the rest of the Barcelona selection. Jordi Cruijff, who is stepping down as sporting director, also took the floor. It is not yet known what he will do after this season. He said, “My best memory at Camp Nou was my debut as a youth player and my first goal. I also always have to think about my father’s transition from cigars to lollipops.”
Ronaldo will not become champion in Saudi Arabia
Al-Nassr went very far in the winter to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, but did not buy the championship. The Saudi national title goes to Al-Ittihad FC this season.
Al-Nassr still had a small chance of taking first place with two rounds to go, but failed to beat Al-Ettifaq (1-1) on Saturday evening. Because leader Al-Ittihad did take the three points, 0-3 visiting Al Feiha, the battle for the championship has been decided. Ronaldo ends his first season in Saudi Arabia definitively without a prize, after previously missing the cup.
Ronaldo played his sixteenth league game for Al-Nassr on Saturday. In it, the 38-year-old Portuguese scored fourteen goals. The top scorer of the competition is the Moroccan Abderrazak Hamdallah, who went from Al-Nassr to Al-Ittihad last year and is now a champion.
The big question is whether Ronaldo will make another attempt to become champion in Saudi Arabia next season. Although the attacker has an ongoing contract, there are rumours that Ronaldo wants to leave Al-Nassr again.
