Ivan Rakitic has said the thought of Andres Iniesta leaving Barcelona scares him as the Catalan club’s captain returns to the scene of his most famous goal on Tuesday.
Iniesta has always maintained that he won’t outstay his welcome and that he would walk away if he felt he was no longer contributing to the team, but he remains an important part of Ernesto Valverde’s side.
“Am I scared of Iniesta going? Very,” Rakitic said in a news conference on the eve of Barca’s Champions League round of 16 first-leg clash with Chelsea.
“I don’t want him to leave because of everything he means for this club. We had a bottle of wine the other day and I saw that [2009] goal he scored. It’s not just about what he does on the pitch, though, but also in the dressing room and off the pitch.
“He is a very important person for me, a great friend. I hope he’s here with us for many years. But as a friend, I want him to be happy and whatever he decides in the future, I will always be by his side.”
“Its quite different if you’re playing with three strikers or, like now, with two,” the Croatia international explained. “It’s different if you have a Neymar in your team. We are now without him so we can play more in midfield, it’s a little easier to close the direct line to our goal.
“Now it’s normal for us [to have four]. So maybe to play with three strikers again would be hard.”
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate