“I want to get back playing and enjoying football” - words expressed by Ansu Fati throughout his interview with Barça TV+.
The most emotional moment, however, was when the forward confessed that “my father and I both cried when I returned to running and kicking the ball on the pitch”. The new Barça 10 has been through a “very tough” period in his career.
He has been out with an injury to his inner left kneecap. “You always have to look forward. I just want to thank my family, the Barça fans, and my teammates; they have given me strength during my recovery”, he said. It's been 322 days since his last match, but the young talent can now see his return to Camp Nou on the horizon.
You can learn from everything
“The injury was tough and I have found the recovery process really long. However, you learn from it and I am now really looking forward to getting back to doing what I like most, playing football. And I want to enjoy myself again in particular”.
“Injuries help you to mature, because you value everything more. You learn to appreciate the small details in particular and that really helps you grow. I have become more aware about everything in general during this period and worked very hard to get back”.
A special moment
“I invited my father and younger brother to training the day when I put my boots back on. It was such a happy day. Particularly for my father, as both he and I started crying when we saw me enter the pitch, and running and kicking the ball. It was a very emotional moment for my entire family”.
The family, a rock
“My parents and siblings have been key. They've been at my side the entire time. it would have been much tougher without them. It was harder to see my family suffer more than myself. My brother asked me "when are you going back?” every day and not knowing what to tell him was really difficult. However, this helps you to mature and want to get back even more”.
Appreciative of the fans too…
“I really appreciate the culers, because they have made me feel that I am not alone during this process. I have always received affectionate messages with them saying they can't wait to see me back. It's a real positive during recovery, giving you a boost to work to get back”.
“I've felt really wanted and that's helped me during my recovery. Now I want to return their confidence and I can't wait to go back to Camp Nou. My return will be a special day and I hope that I can play well for them and show my desire”.
… and his teammates
“I also want to thank all my teammates that have been there for me throughout in everything. It's all made everything easier to be honest”.
A return with the number 10 on his back
“It's an honour to wear the number 10. I want to thank the Club. Wearing that number is a real challenge given everything it represents; both Leo and Ronaldinho wore it, among others. It's added pressure, but that's part of being in the first team”.
Step by step
“I really want to get back playing, feel like a footballer, and enjoy it more than anything. I haven't played in a year and I want to starting getting in the groove and gradually become more confident. I will try to bring something new to the team every time I play, something from me”.
Getting back to celebrating goals
“A forward always feels more confident after scoring a goal. It could be during training, but it's even better during a match of course. I feel confident and ready to play again. I am excited about going to Camp Nou and seeing my family, the fans, and everyone that's helped me during this process”.
