Jordi Alba Praises Unai Emery and Luis Enrique, Recalls "Stolen Title" and Liverpool Elimination

Former Barcelona player Jordi Alba was a guest on the podcast El camino de Mario, where he reflected on his career.

To begin, he credited Unai Emery for his transformation into a top footballer: “The career I had is thanks to Emery. I used to play as a winger, and it was Unai who retrained me. Initially, I didn't take well to the idea of playing as a full-back. Emery is top-tier. In every team he's been with, he brings out the best in his players.”

He also spoke about his transfer to Barcelona and the other club that wanted him: “The day before the Euro 2012 final, I signed my contract with Barça. Chelsea also wanted me, but my priority was Barça.” Alba also jokingly commented on the La Liga title that Atlético Madrid won against Barcelona at their stadium, with the left-back claiming it was stolen from them: “That title was stolen. Wasn't Mateu Lahoz the referee? Oh my goodness... He sent me off twice.”

The former defender had nothing but praise for Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique: “He is the best. He makes everyone united – both those who play and those who don't, and that's the hardest thing to achieve. You're happy for your teammate, for the team. Not everyone can do that. In that regard, Luis is brilliant. In managing the group, he's incredible. He's close with the players and demands the maximum from you. If you don't do what he says, someone else plays. He doesn't care about names, nor what you've achieved in football.”

One image that haunts Alba is the one showing him supposedly crying at halftime during the Champions League semi-final elimination against Liverpool in 2019: “The worst night was in Liverpool. That photo they published... I wasn't crying at halftime, I just felt unwell. I made a mistake on the first goal. We were leading 3-0 from the first leg... it shouldn't have slipped away from us. After we were knocked out in Liverpool, it took a long time before I left the house. It was a very difficult period for the club and for me.”

Alba also discussed how leading players helped Barça during the COVID-19 pandemic: “The captains deferred our salaries and stopped receiving money of our own volition. Many lies were leaked to harm us. It seemed as if we, the captains, were to blame for the club's poor state.”

Regarding his move to Inter Miami, he stated: “There was one day left until the transfer window closed, and they told me I had to go on loan to Inter Miami. Without any prior warning, with the kids already enrolled in school... it was a tough moment. I terminated my contract with Barça without having anything concrete lined up. I went on vacation with Sergio Busquets, and he had already decided to go to Inter Miami. In Ibiza, I met Jorge Mas, the club owner, and he quickly convinced me. At that point, we still knew nothing about Lionel Messi.”

Finally, the former Spanish international discussed the comparisons between Messi and Barcelona's new star: “Lamine Yamal is having a great career, but I think Messi cannot be compared to anyone. He is the best in history. The best thing about Messi is that he has never compared himself to anyone. Nevertheless, Lamine is a true spectacle.”