Ivan Rakitic: "I am very grateful and proud of my time at Barça"

Ivan Rakitic has bid farewell to FC Barcelona after six seasons in a press conference this morning. The Croatian says he is "proud, grateful and happy" to have played for Barça. 

The midfielder will return to Sevilla in a deal worth €1.5m but could rise to €10.5m with variables depending on the Europa League winners achievements. 

Rakitic was accompanied by Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu as well as Òscar Grau, Ramon Planes and Javier Bordas.

PROUD OF HIS TIME AT BARÇA

Rakitic has played 310 matches for Barça and won 16 titles during his six years at the club. "It is an honour to be the foreign player with the fourth most games played in the history of Barça. There's also a stat I've been told about, that I am the one with the highest average of games played per season (51). It's a figure that's not easy to reach."

his best season was the penultimate one

"I think my penultimate year at Barça was my best year. The 2018/19 season was the one I enjoyed the most ... but everything was marred by the Liverpool defeat. Over the last few seasons, we have been very close to repeating what we did in 2015. Sometimes it's small details, a little luck, that was the difference between making us smile or not."

"I want to be remembered as a humble, normal Rakitic," the Croatian insists. "There's nothing better than going to the Cuidad Deportiva after having a white coffee at home in the morning. You can always do things a lot better but the most important thing is to give the best I can, my absolute maximum. If anybody sees me make a mistake, I'm sorry. I don't want to regret anything because everything I've done has been with the best intentions and without meaning to disrespect anyone."

LOSING TO BAYERN

"I don't want to think about Bayern. I'm sorry I couldn't take part in the last game. You know how I am and I always want to be out there. A devalued Barça? I don't think so. I talk to a lot of players, like my team-mates, and they all admire Barça. In my opinion, the first option for all players is always Barça. It is the best club in the world."

on MESSI's future

"Every player makes his own decisions and has his own ideas behind them but, for me, staying at Barça is always the first option," confessed Rakitic.

UNZUÉ, XAVI and iniesta

“Choose a team-mate? I have learned from all my team-mates and I am grateful to all of them. But if I have to choose, maybe I’ll stick with Andrés (Iniesta) or Xavi (Hernández). Playing with them was wonderful. They both helped me a lot when I arrived. The year I met Xavi he was very important to me. And then the same with Andrés, who is one of the best friends that football has given me."

On his return to Sevilla, Rakitic said: "I have a great bond with Sevilla, but we will talk about that from tomorrow. Today I want to say goodbye in the best possible way to Barça. I will not celebrate the goals if one day I score against Barça. I will carry Barça in my heart.”

And finally, he had some honest words for Juan Carlos Unzue. "Apart from thanking my team-mates, coaches, managers and fans, I also want to say goodbye to a very special person, Juan Carlos Unzué. He has been a very special person for the dressing room. Also, we have the parallel of both having had a home here in Barcelona and Seville."