José Manuel Pinto played for Barça for five and a half seasons, and he returned to the Camp Nou on Thursday for a commercial event. "I had many offers to continue playing but I refused and dedicated myself to music," he said, thanking the three Clubs where he developed his career: Betis, Celta and Barça. He thanked Barça particularly for the opportunity they gave him, and with whom he won a total of 16 titles.
Asked his opinion on the current team, he was very positive about Ernesto Valverde’s season, with the Cup in the bag already and the League title just a single point away. "I'm worried that the Cup and League are not seen as worthwhile. It seems that winning the League doesn't have the value it should, when it is the competition that shows which team is the best and most regular throughout the season," he explained. He also noted that suffering in the Champions League shouldn't take away any merit from other competitions.
About Lionel Messi, with whom he enjoys a good friendship, Pinto said: "I'm not surprised how it's going. I think he still has so much more to give. This is just the beginning of Messi." He also spoke about Andrés Iniesta: "When I think of Andrés, I think of Don Andrés. Technically, I won’t find anything knew, and I can only say that he is a lord with the ball.”
