Samuel Umtiti (ex-Barcelona / Lille)
November 2025

Samuel Umtiti (ex-Barcelona / Lille) has revealed how recurring knee injuries after the 2018 World Cup wrecked his Barcelona career, triggered bouts of depression and ultimately pushed him toward a premature retirement aged 31 despite earlier trophy success for club and country. He said disagreements over treatment with Barcelona staff led him to seek outside specialists who advised against surgery, a choice the club accepted but which he believes created an internal rift, fuelled false stories and left him feeling blamed while simply trying to return.