'I Felt Very Lonely' - Retired France Defender Reveals Hidden Struggles Behind His Barcelona Career

Samuel Umtiti has embarked on a new chapter after retiring from professional football, ending a career marked by both glorious highs and debilitating lows.

The former Barcelona and France international, who hung up his boots earlier this season due to persistent knee injuries, has spoken openly about the challenging years that led to his departure from the sport.

Now 31 and based in Paris, Umtiti looked back on his time in Catalonia in a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

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While his tenure at Barcelona was the most successful of his career, he confessed it was also a period of deep isolation.

"In Barcelona, I felt very lonely. I did not want to talk to anyone," he revealed. As injuries increasingly kept him off the pitch, the mental strain intensified. "If you are not well psychologically, your body cannot perform at its maximum, and that affects your performance."

Umtiti moved to Barcelona from Olympique Lyon in July 2016 and quickly cemented his reputation as a premier European defender.

In six seasons with the club, he made 134 appearances, won two La Liga titles, and secured three Copa del Rey trophies. His career peaked in 2018 when he played a key role in France's FIFA World Cup victory in Russia.

However, that triumph was soon followed by a sharp decline. Chronic knee problems plagued his career, drastically reducing his playing time and influence at the club. Umtiti explained that the lack of consistent support and playing opportunities compounded his struggles.

"Footballers are often thrown into huge realities that are difficult to handle," he said, emphasising the need for more open conversations about mental health. "You have to have the courage to say out loud that you are not well."

A loan move to Italian side Lecce in 2022 proved to be a turning point for him personally. He was greeted by an emotional crowd of fans at the airport, a warm reception that offered a fresh start after years of frustration.

"I am not someone who talks much; my heart expresses itself better than my mouth," Umtiti said of that moment. "Those tears probably came straight from the heart. I needed sincere love, and I found it from the very first moment in Lecce."

He admitted to having initial reservations about the move, but Lecce's sporting director, Pantaleo Corvino, had assured him it would be the right fit.

"He told me I would fall in love with the people and the city," Umtiti recalled. "I was not so sure, but he was right. A very strong bond was created."

After his time in Italy and a subsequent spell at Lille, Umtiti was left without a club last summer. The ongoing knee issues ultimately forced his retirement this season, ending a career that, as Barcelona acknowledged in a farewell tribute, was a story of major honours intertwined with long battles against injury.

Though his playing days are over, Samuel Umtiti is already preparing for a future in the sport. He is currently studying for his coaching badges with a clear vision for his managerial style.