Joao Cancelo not affected by Barcelona 'toxicity' – 'I've been through worse times in my personal life'
Being one of the biggest clubs in the world, there is always a lot of scrutiny on Barcelona, both from the fans and the media. This has been under the microscope more than usual in recent months, following the criticism of head coach Xavi Hernandez, who cited it as a major reason for him to resign at the end of this season.
One player who has shown no signs of cracking under the pressure of being at Barcelona is Joao Cancelo. The on-loan Manchester City defender has adapted to life in Catalonia perfectly, and revealed to A Bola (via MD) because he was not affected by the strong media scrutiny that comes with playing for the Blaugrana.
“I have a very strong mentality, especially because on a personal level I have been through a lot and I have always looked at life in a positive way. I have gone through worse times in my personal life than in my sports life. Pressure affects some more than others. It doesn't affect me much because I created a barrier.
“From the moment I lost my mother, I was forced to grow up much faster, to be much more mature, to be the head of my family. Not everyone is like that. Barcelona is a difficult club, but it is the club of my career that I like the most, I always wanted to be here.”
Upon Xavi's departure, many noted that Barcelona had improved significantly since the announcement came in January – this caused some to suggest that the players had been 'psychologically released'. However, Cancelo doesn't believe it's that simple.
“I don't see it that way, especially because the coach has always been good to us. I think that if he is not the one who loves the club the most in our team, he will be one of the ones who loves it the most. a legend of Barcelona and sometimes people forget what he did to be here. He faced the challenge of the club when it was not at the best economic level, in terms of players, and this is to be praised. Not it's not only when you win that you have to give value. As a player I appreciate him a lot and as I have the pleasure of having him as a coach, I appreciate him even more. Xavi gave us that relais, because he himself wanted to sacrifice so that the team would leave more.
Cancelo is ready to leave Barcelona at the same time as Xavi in the summer, although he hopes to stay for at least one more season. This will be one of the key areas of focus during the upcoming transfer window.
