Riqui Puig spoke about his journey at Barcelona, future plans, the Spanish national team, and more at Mic Camp.
The 21-year-old visited Mic Camp, a summer program formerly known as Nike Camp, with Jana Fernàndez on Monday. Speaking to a crowd of youth players, Puig made remarks on his journey so far and future at FC Barcelona..
On his first Barcelona goal:
When asked about his first goal for FC Barcelona, the midfielder described the moment as an “unbelievable one. “When I scored my first goal with Barça, I didn’t believe it. It was a dream come true. I have not scored yet at Camp Nou, but I have already scored a goal for the best club in the world,” he said. “I was the happiest man in the world that day.”
On Quique Setien:
The UEFA Youth League winner also expressed his love for Quique Setien. When asked to choose, Puig chose the former Real Betis manager over Pep Guardiola, Ronald Koeman. “I think that because of the way he understands football and how he treated me. Setien was very close to me and I learned a lot from him,” he explained.
On plans to represent Spain at the World Cup:
Regarding his considerations for the Spanish team, the youngster expressed his interest in going to the World Cup with the national side. “It is the dream of every player to go with the national team. I would like to win many titles with the national team and winning a World Cup must be the greatest thing,” the 21-year-old said.
On Pedri:
Puig also opened up about Pedri’s talent and spoke highly of him during his conversation. “He [Pedri] is a player who has surprised me the most this season because of his age, for all the minutes he has played and how he has performed on the field. He is showing the quality he has and I am convinced that he can bring a lot of joy to the club,” the midfielder said.
On his future at Barcelona:
When asked about whether he has any intention to leave Barcelona this summer, Riqui Puig denied speculations regarding his exit from the club. “I am a very ambitious player and I am not satisfied with the first thing that I get. I really want to play many games, score many goals and win titles to be a recognized player for Barcelona.”
Riqui Puig also hinted that he’d prefer Manchester City if he was to move out of Barcelona. “Because the style of play matches Barcelona and because Manchester City has a coach who understands football like me, I’d go there,” he said. “But, at the moment, I am very well in Barcelona and I am not planning to leave.”
