Barcelona have announced the departure of midfielder Sergi Roberto, ending his 18-year association with the club.
The 32-year-old’s exit was confirmed on Sunday evening following the end of his contract.
The Spain international has spent the entirety of his career at Barcelona, winning 21 trophies since making his debut as an 18-year-old.
Roberto confirmed his exit in a short statement on social media that read: “The time has come to thank you for all this journey we have taken together. Long live Barça, forever!”
He will be honoured at a farewell ceremony at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, August 13.
The Athletic reported in June that the Barcelona captain was negotiating with other clubs ahead of the expiration of his contract this summer.
The versatile midfielder, who was often deployed at right-back, joined the club’s La Masia academy as a 14-year-old and progressed through the youth ranks before making his first-team debut in 2010.
He scored 19 goals in 373 appearances for the club, representing five different permanent managers in that time.
Arguably his most famous contribution came in 2017, when he scored Barcelona’s sixth goal to complete a miraculous second-leg comeback in their Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
He won two Champions Leagues, seven La Liga titles, six Copas del Reys and two FIFA Club World Cups for the Blaugrana.
(Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
