Inigo Martinez has been speaking about his shock departure from Barcelona and says that manager Hansi Flick understood his decision to leave.
The defender has swapped Barcelona for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and admitted that the contract offer he received was simply too good to turn down.
”These options rarely arise and it’s difficult to say no. I had one year left on my contract, I’m 34 years old, and these opportunities don’t come often. It caught him by surprise, but from the second minute, he was understanding. He felt sorry, he had a lot of affection for me, it was mutual,” he told Onda Vasca.
“It’s not that I was earning a small salary at Barcelona, it was a significant salary, I was happy too and the family was content with their lives. It’s tough to make such a decision.
“Looking at my career and what I have achieved, it was the perfect time to take this step, these trains come once if they come at all, and it’s hard to say no. No one is prepared to see these kinds of contracts; when they present it to you, you can hardly believe it.”
Martinez also admitted how difficult he had found it to say goodbye to Barcelona, saying the team has become one big family.
”I am strong, but internally, it was tough. The farewells were difficult but good at the same time. I thank the Barça fans. I may have arrived late, with an injury, but I did everything to make up for it during my second year,” he added.
“The locker room was a family. In October, we were far from Real Madrid, we came together, and then the comeback began.”
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