Oriol Riera, an academy product of Barcelona, has opened up on the pressure he felt at the club and the difficult decision that led him to leave the Catalan club despite having a long-term contract.
The former striker joined the Catalan club when he was just 13 years old and spent seven years there. In 2004, he fulfilled the dream of all La Masia players by making his first-team debut.
However, before long, he found himself back in the reserve team after just a solitary appearance and struggling to get regular game time with the first team.
As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Riera explained that the situation became increasingly difficult after he returned to the reserve team and stopped getting first-team opportunities.
Oriol Riera, former Barcelona academy talent
Oriol Riera explains why he left Barcelona. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
He said: “There came a moment when I didn’t go back up to the first team, I went down to the reserves and I said either I leave Barça or I quit football, because of the pressure, the situation, the lack of oxygen, seeing that you no longer enjoy it.”
The pressure became too much
Riera admitted that part of the pressure he felt came from himself and the background he came from.
“I come from a very humble family, where my parents had absolutely nothing and seeing that you can be a solution, by not quite taking the step, maybe you enter into frustration,” he added.
It takes quite a lot to be honest about such vulnerabilities in front of the media. At Barcelona, young players are often discussed only in terms of talent, potential and missed opportunities, so it is easy to forget the humans behind them.
A brave decision to leave Barcelona
The former forward revealed that he had signed a five-year professional contract with Barça but still chose to walk away.
“I had five years signed at Barça, with a professional contract. But I think that in football if you focus on money, you make bad decisions.”
Oriol Riera, former Barcelona academy talent
Oriol Riera during his time at Western Sydney Wanderers. (Photo by Zak Kaczmarek/Getty Images)
Riera eventually joined Cultural Leonesa in Segunda B, accepting a very different reality away from the comfort and prestige of Barcelona.
His story is a reminder that La Masia stories are not always success stories. There is also the painful truth of the pressure that comes with being associated with such a prestigious institution.
Riera may not have become a first-team regular, but his decision showed courage. Sometimes leaving Barcelona is not failure. It is courage to take the next logical step in your career.